Beybladers Unite!
by bb4564
Summary: The Bladebreakers have a new team member. Sam. But there is something strange about her and her bitbeast Drazema. And for some strange reason Kai has a feeling he’s met her before. Somewhere….in his past. Who is she? And what is the mystery surroundin
1. An Unusual Phone Call

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 1: An unusual phone call!**

Samantha Coredori lay on her back, her head resting against the soft pillows covering the head of her bed. Her crystal blue eyes stared at the light violet ceiling as she tried to quiet her anxiety. In actual fact her walls were white but the darkness of her room gave them a purple tinge. Her delicate fingers ran along the gold chain that sat around her neck, before resting on the small heart-shaped locket in the centre. Taking her eyes off the ceiling, she swung her slender legs over the edge of her bed and sat up. Resting her bare feet on the soft cream coloured carpet she surveyed her room.

The walls were decorated with hundreds of posters displaying various beyblading champions and their bitbeasts. At the end of her bed was a wooden bookshelf, crammed full of books and magazines on beyblading given to her by her loving Grandfather. Her desk was covered with beyblading information sheets, c.d's, books and a thousand other bits and pieces. The window directly opposite her bed had its violet curtains firmly closed. Sighing inwardly, Sam stood up and walked over to the window. Opening the curtains, her room was instantly flooded with warmth and light. Sam felt a sudden shiver run down her spine from the warmth. Opening the window, a cool breeze blew through the room, playing with her long black hair that ended a few inches past her shoulder blades. Sam lent her upper body out the window, allowing her weight to rest against the sill.

Looking out from her second story room, she took in the view surrounding her home in Hong Kong. Her home was simple but stylish. Her house was made from fine timber painted a light cream. It had a veranda surrounding the upper level of the front of the house, leaving the bottom level in shadow. The garden was a variety of lush colours, ranging from greens to reds, depending on the flowers and plants. In the center of the garden was a white, marble fountain, shaped as the dragon bitbeast, dragoon, which sprayed water from the mouth instead of fire. The water then landed in the large marble dish below. Weaving through the garden and around the fountain was a smooth, pebble path. Near the end of the garden was a large oak tree, which she used to climb as a child. A few meters past that, was her favourite childhood play area. A small, wooden dish, used for beyblading. Sam smiled at the memories the house had.

Leaning back inside, she made her way back over to her bed and sat down. Looking at her clock, she realised that it was only seven o'clock and she let out a groan. Seven o'clock on a Friday and she was already bored out of her mind. With an even louder groan she fell back against the pillows and focused her eyes again at her ceiling.

Right above her head was her two most cherished posters of all. One was of a beyblade final in Hawaii, three years ago, where her old team the, the Carnivora Catz, had been the champions. The poster was of her team mates and her holding up their beyblades as they posed for the photograph. Sam's eyes scanned the faces that stared back at her.

Kneeling in the front were Bretz, Rayley and Adonia – with their bitbeasts: Asyema, Latema and Nazema. Standing behind them was Garnet, Jazon –the leader of the pack- and herself – with their bitbeasts: Rubema, Crazema and Drazema. Sam's gaze held for a brief moment on Jazon before she quickly looked away. Her eyes drifted over to her other poster.

It was of another team, the Bladebreakers they were called, at a championship in Italy, where they had been the winners. She scanned the people, seeing if she could remember their names and bitbeasts.

Sitting in the front row were three boys. A nave haired boy who she was sure was called Tyson, then a brunette - Kenny, and finally a blonde – Max. Held in front of them were their bitbeasts and in front of Kenny was a laptop (why, Sam couldn't understand). The boy called Tyson was also trying to hide a bag of lollies behind his back - unsuccessfully. Lifting her gaze, she looked at the two faces of those kneeling behind. Behind Max was a black haired boy with a bandana wrapped around his head displaying the ying-yang symbol.

She tried to recall his name…'Ray-I think.' and beside him was a dark blue haired boy. She was sure his name was Kai and that he was the leader of the Bladebreakers. Held high above their heads were their bitbeasts. Sam's eyes went back to Kai. He looked completely serious, not even smiling into the camera. For some reason Sam had a feeling she had met him before. Sam looked away and over the rest of the posters. She couldn't believe she was being placed into an all-boys team. "It's better then no team," she chided herself. She looked over at her old team.

She closed her eyes as she remembered how she had left her team. They were always telling her she wasn't good enough, and then when she lost a battle at their last finals, costing them the prize they had been furious. But Sam had to admit that she didn't even try to win. She was annoyed at her team and even angrier at Jazon. She wanted them to lose and deliberately lost the battle. After that she left the team.

Sam's eyes snapped open as she counted off how long it had been since the championship. Exactly 1 year, 3 months and 2 days. That was a long time to be away from her team, even longer to be away from her friends. Well ex-friends actually. Except for one girl: Garnet. She and Garnet were like sisters. They had been close from the minute Sam had joined the team and was the only person that didn't pick on Sam. In fact, Garnet was the only person that had stopped Sam from leaving the team many times before. But Sam had had enough and finally left. Leaving Garnet behind, the only painful thing about it.

She had turned seventeen two months ago and was missing beyblading with a team terribly. Sitting up she went over to her desk and shuffled through the mess on the top. Finding this year's calendar, she sat cross-legged on the floor and flipped through it slowly. "It's Friday April 4th today...April… May… June!" She read out the names as the months flicked by slowly until she found the one she was looking for. A red circle had been drawn around the 25th with the words 'GERMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS'printed in large block letters. Sam's anticipation grew as she read these words. Her new team, the Bladebreakers, had been invited to compete in the next Beynamite championships being held in Germany and she couldn't wait. Not only would she finally be able to meet her new team, but she'd also be competing against some of the world's champion beybladers too. Mr. Dickenson, an old friend of the family, had called her last month to tell her the good news and she had been training hard ever since, growing more anxious as the days went by.

Getting to her feet, she replaced the calendar and went over to her dressers. Carefully searching through her millions of clothes, she finally pulled out a pair of three-quarter black pants. Shuffling through her clothes again she picked out a red, Chinese-style dress that came to her mid-thigh, with slits on both sides and gold flowers on the bottom left and top right corners. Stripping off her light violet, cotton pyjamas, she quickly slipped into the pants and dress. Going back over to her desk she sat down an opened the top drawer. Pulling out a hairbrush she ran it through her dark hair until it was as soft and shiny as silk. Then grabbing a hair tie she pulled her hair up into a high ponytail that sat just behind her ears. Looking herself over in the mirror, she quickly tied a red ribbon around her hair and smiled. She was now dressed for training.

Opening the top drawer, she reached into the back and closed her fists around a circular object. Taking it out, she opened her hand and revealed a small black and silver beyblade. The blade contained her bitbeast Drazema. Her bitbeast looked exactly like a panther. With an entire black body except for two paws (one at the front, one at the back), her ear tips and also her tail, which were all silver in colour. Her eyes were a bright dark blue like sapphires and her claws and teeth were pure white and extremely sharp. Put the most unusual thing, were two silver eagles wings that protruded from each shoulder. Sam smiled, as she turned her blade over in her hands. Reaching back into her drawer she pulled out her training gear. A black leather belt, which held her launcher and a clip for her beyblade and two black gloves that ended just an inch past her knuckles and came up to just past her elbows. As she finished putting them on, there was a knock at the door. "Sam?" and old voice called through the door. "Come in Grandpa," Sam replied.

The door creaked open and an elderly man entered the room. He appeared to be quite old, in the sixties perhaps, although he stood quite tall and erect. His hair was the deepest colour of grey, which matched his small moustache perfectly. He looked rather fragile with age, but his kind smile and lively pale blue eyes made him appear young. "Oh good you're up," he said in a soft, gentle voice, noticing Sam already dressed. Sam swung her legs over and stood up. "Did you want something Grandpa?" she asked, walking over to him and kissing his wrinkled cheek.

"Hmmm…?" he replied, as though trying to remember why he'd come. "Oh yes there's a phone call for you." Sam's eyes widened with interest as she said a silent thanks to whoever had saved her from boredom. She looked at her grandfather expectantly as she waited to see whom it was. "Who is it?" she asked, unable to wait.

"I don't know, but he sounded…" before he could say another word Sam was out the door and heading for the stairs.

Sliding down the railing she landed on her feet and headed for the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, she walked up to the counter and picked up the phone that was resting on top. "Hello?" she said into the phone. She waited for a few seconds but there was no reply. All she could hear was steady breathing on the other end. "Hello?" Sam asked again, clipping the beyblade onto her belt.

"Samantha Coredori?" a deep, raspy voice asked suddenly.

"Yes," Sam replied slowly. She waited but the caller made no reply. "Who is this?" Sam demanded. With a 'click' the line went dead, leaving Sam staring at the phone.

**Ohhhhh...creepy cliff hanger. Will write more soon. Don't forget to review!**


	2. Time For Training

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 2: Time for Training!**

"Tyson! Would you please wake up!?" Kenny cried in annoyance early Thursday morning. Tyson laid spread out over his bed, his arms dangling lifelessly over the edge. His butt was pointing straight up in the air, his legs tucked beneath him in an 'L' shape holding his butt's weight. His dark blue hair was tangled in a mess, his grey-blue fringe tangled with the rest. A small trickle of drool dribbled from his open mouth, onto the pillow that was half hanging off the bed. Kenny sighed and looked at his laptop that was sitting on the dresser beside the bed. "What now Dizzi?" Dizzi appeared on the screen. "I don't know Chief," Dizzi replied, noticing the still sleeping Tyson, "I don't think anyone or anything could wake him up." Kenny groaned. They were going to be late and Kai was going to kill them – well Tyson anyway.

A knock sounded at the door and Kenny went to answer it. Max and Ray were waiting patiently at the door. "Let me guess," Max said, the minute the door opened," he's still not up yet?" Kenny shook his head, running his fingers through his light brown hair.

"May I?" Ray asked, pointing towards the bedroom. Kenny stepped back allowing Ray and Max to enter, before leading the way into the bedroom, where Tyson hadn't moved a single muscle.

The minute he entered, Max shook his head, a few strands of blonde hair falling over his face, covering his dark blue eyes. "There is no way that's comfortable," he said, indicating to Tyson's sleeping form. "Or healthy," Ray added, his wild black hair held back by it's usual red bandana displaying the ying-yang symbol.

"Kai's going to kill him," Max commented walking towards the bed.

"You mean he's not dead already?" Dizzi's sarcastic voice rang out, "maybe you'd better check."

"Morning Dizzi," Max greeted cheerfully.

"Morning Max."

Just then a loud roar echoed around the room, followed a split second later by a beep from Kenny's laptop. "Right on time," Dizzi responded. "What was that?" Ray asked, looking around for the source. "Tyson's snore," Kenny replied breezily.

"Are you sure?" Ray questioned, eyeing Tyson closely. Kenny nodded.

"Yep, he does that about every hour."

"You time them?!?" Ray replied in disbelief.

"Of course." Ray just shook his head in a combination of amusement and disgust. Max was studying Tyson's sleeping form while all this was going on. Ray and Kenny walked up behind him to see what he was doing. "I think I know how to wake him up," Max declared. This caused everyone to stare at him in shock. "Then please do," Kenny replied, "while I get the trophy ready." Max rolled his eyes before climbing onto the bed behind Tyson. Resting his foot on Tyson's tailbone, he then extended his leg quickly, sending Tyson flying headfirst into the wall. "Owww!!!" Tyson screamed sitting up and rubbing his head, while Kenny, Ray and Max cringed at the pain that ran through their ears. Dizzi of course was laughing uncontrollably.

Tyson glared at all four of them as he continued to rub his head. "What's the big idea, guys?" Tyson demanded, his dark blue eyes almost black with rage. Kenny looked at Ray, and Ray looked at Max. "Yeah Max. What was the big idea?" Ray echoed, turning to look at Max, hands on his hips. Tyson's deadly gaze immediately locked onto Max, who was desperately trying to think of a good excuse for the 'early wake-up call' he had just given Tyson. "Ummm…Ahhh…Hmmm…April Fools?" Max suggested hopefully. Tyson's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That was two days ago, Max," Tyson replied through gritted teeth. A split second later his face paled. "Wait...that means today's the third right?"

"This boys a genius," Dizzi exclaimed sarcastically, "April first plus two days equals April third. How does he do it?" Tyson's eyes darted over to Dizzi, who only laughed cheekily at him.

Tyson decided to just ignore him and jumped to his feet. "Why didn't you guys wake me up sooner? We're going to be late for training. Kai's going to kill us!" With that he grabbed some clothes and darted into the bathroom to change, nearly knocking Ray over in the process.

Kai lent leisurely against the pillar in the lobby. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded across his well-toned chest, his dark blue hair shading his face as he waited for the others to arrive. At the moment they were all staying at a stylish hotel in Tokyo, Japan. They had just competed in a small tournament there and although they had won, Kai wasn't happy with the results of his team. So today they started training for the Championships in Germany. And he looked forward to torturing the others, especially Tyson, in the next hour to come. With the tournament approaching, they would have to be going and getting their newest member from Hong Kong but until then he had an entire morning to devote to _hard _training.

Kai smiled and closed his eyes as he thought about the fun he was going to have getting stuck into Tyson. He didn't notice the others approach until Ray spoke up, "What's so funny Kai?" Kai's maroon eyes opened and he looked up at Ray, noticing him for the first time. Kai closed his eyes again and rested his head on his chest. He chuckled to himself then looked up again, his gaze taking in his whole team but focusing on Tyson. "I was just thinking of all the long hours of training we'll be doing. You know early rises, hard training, light meals…" Kai could have gone on for ages, but Tyson couldn't take anymore. With a groan he fell to the ground in a dead faint. Almost all of the people walking past looked over at him in wonder, concerned for his health. That is until Tyson started babbling about boys need for sleep and food… then it was utter disgust as they continued on their way.

Kai looked at Tyson and then quickly looked away, trying to look his best as if he didn't know him. Max on the other hand was trying hard to get Tyson off the ground. He finally succeeded by mentioning 'breakfast' and 'all you can eat' in the same sentence. At the mere mention of the words, Tyson jumped to his feet, looking for the quickest way to get to the indoor restaurant that the hotel had. Upon spotting it, he began to run towards it. He had taken two steps when he suddenly felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and he fell backwards, landing with a 'THUD' on the hard floor. Looking up he saw Kai standing over him. "What's the big idea Kai?!? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Kai stated calmly. Tyson stuck his tongue out at Kai, but quickly retreated when Kai glared at him. "Besides," continued Kai in an almost bored tone, "if you had woken up on time you might have had time for breakfast, but unfortunately – for you- we have training to do." It took a moment for this to sink in and when it did, Tyson fell back spreading out on the ground closing his eyes, he looked almost dead. Kai just shook his head and walked off towards the exit. Kenny, Max and Ray quickly followed then came Tyson still complaining about his need for food. It wasn't until they reached the park and stopped at a hot dog stand did Tyson stop complaining and got down to some serious training.


	3. Training Begins

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 3 – Training Begins!**

"Come on Dragoon," Tyson called to his blue and white blade as it spun rapidly towards the green blade in the centre of the dish. "Use storm attack now!" he yelled. He watched as his blade spun around the dish causing a tornado to appear. "Draciel, counter it with Defence Ball," Max called to his blade, but Dragoon's attack was too strong and as the tornado engulfed the green blade it was thrown out of the dish, landing at Max's feet.

"Yeah!!" Tyson yelled, pumping his fist in the air at his victory before calling Dragoon back into his open head. "Great game Max," Tyson said, walking over and shaking Max's hand in good sportsmanship.

Max smiled at Tyson, "Yeah great game Tyson, Dragoon's really improving." Tyson grinned the compliment.

"Or maybe Draciel's just getting worse," Kai's voice rang out. Everyone turned to stare at Kai.

"That was out of line Kai" Tyson responded, fists clenched in rage.

"Was it?" Kai asked smugly. "If Max ever wants to defeat Dragoon he's going to have to try a lot better then that Tyson. So either he wasn't trying or Draciel is too weak." Tyson went red with rage.

"Why don't you just zip it Kai," Tyson suddenly yelled, "No one cares what you think." Kai just stared at him. Then he shrugged.

"Fine, like I care. Ray you're up." Kai called to Ray as a defeated Max went and sat beside Kenny.

"Don't listen to him Max," Kenny whispered, "You were doing great." Max smiled sadly.

"Maybe Kai's right. Maybe Draciel is too weak for battle." This shocked Kenny. He never thought he'd hear Max say that about his bitbeast.

"It's not true Max. Here let me show you something." Typing a command into his laptop, he replayed the battle between Max and Tyson. "Look," he said pointing to the small screen. "Just before Dragoon does that storm Attack the blade tilts slightly to the left. If you attack it then you'd win for sure."

Max smiled. "You're right. Thanks Chief."

Kenny sighed with relief at having Max back to his old self and turned back to the battle between Ray and Tyson. Ray was focused intently on Tyson's blade as he studied it, trying to think of a good strategy move. Tyson ordered Dragoon to attack the spinning dark grey blade. He watched as the blade spun towards it at a rapid pace. "Driger, steady yourself and block it," Ray called. With a loud crash the two blades collided with each other, as they tried to knock one from the dish. Neither succeeded as they continued spinning in the dish. "Good on ya Driger! Great battle!" Ray complimented his blade.

Tyson didn't comment, but kept his eyes trained on Ray's blade. "Ok, Dragoon, use your Storm Attack and lets knock this blade out," Tyson commanded. Again his blade spun around the dish and a tornado started to appear. Ray watched with no emotion on his face. As the tornado built up Ray suddenly called out to his blade, "Ok Driger, Tiger claw now!" A huge blast erupted in the dish as the blades collided. As the smoke cleared, everyone's attention was on the dish. To everyone's surprise Tyson's blade lay at the bottom of the dish as Ray's spun around it. "Yeah!! Good on ya Driger," he called seeing his blade still standing. Tyson stared in shock for a few minutes before calling back his blade. "Awesome move Ray," Tyson called, smiling at his friend. "I know," Ray replied cheekily. Kai was silent but he nodded his head as a way of acknowledging Ray's victory.

Glancing at his watch he saw it was eleven thirty. They had been training for a while now. Kai also remembered that Mr. Dickenson had arranged to meet them at the hotel at twelve. "Okay guys, time to go," Kai said, walking off towards the hotel. "Yes!" Tyson shouted, "Lunch time." Ray shook his head at Tyson's response.

"Actually Tyson," he said as he walked towards him, "I don't think we have time for your kind of lunch."

"WHAT!!!" Tyson looked like he was going to faint.

"You had to tell him, didn't you Ray." Kenny said, shaking his head. Ray just laughed and continued walking.

Max jogged ahead of the others to catch up with Kai. "Hey Kai," he called as he approached. Kai stopped and waited for Max to catch up. Although he didn't say it out loud, Kai was feeling pretty guilty about what he had said to Max. Max soon caught up and together they headed towards the hotel. "What's up?" Kai asked, trying to sound as unconcerned as possible. Max fidgeted a little as he walk. "I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers on how to improve Draciel's battling techniques?" Max replied, a little nervously. Kai was silent for a moment, as he thought about how to answer.

"Draciel's a good bitbeast," he said slowly, "you just need to focus on not just defending." Max nodded in understanding. He was glad that Kai was not mad at him.

"Sounds good, thanks." Kai just nodded and they walked the rest of the way to the hotel in silence.

As soon as they reached the hotel, Max headed into his room to change. Kai waited for the others by the doors. Ray and Kenny entered, talking excitedly about the upcoming championships. Seeing Kai, they walked over to him. "Not that I care, but where's Tyson?" Kai asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer. Ray rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, when he heard we wouldn't be having lunch, he…"

"Hey guys!" They looked up to see Tyson, carrying a burger and fries, heading towards them. Ray sighed,

"He decided to get a snack." Kai looked at Tyson and rolled his eyes.

"I was hungry," Tyson mumbled around a mouthful of fries, upon seeing Kai's expression.

"_Big _surprise," Kai replied heading upstairs to change, before returning downstairs to meet Mr. Dickenson. He had changed into some more comfortable clothes, consisting of some dark blue jeans and a black top, with a silver neckline, cuffs and hem and a silver Japanese symbols on the back. He wore a black jacket over the top and had also removed his training armbands, but had placed his beyblade into his jacket pockets. The others hadn't returned yet, but Mr. Dickenson was walking in through the front door.

Kai jogged over to him. "Mr. Dickenson!" Kai called out to get his attention. Mr. Dickenson looked up at him.

"Kai, great to see you again," Mr. Dickenson replied, extending his hand. Kai shook it briefly then stood back to allow the old man to pass. Just then Max, Kenny, Ray and Tyson came out of the elevator.

"Mr. D.!!!!" Tyson yelled, causing most of the people in the hotel to look towards him. To make things worse, in his effort to get out of the elevator, he tripped over his own two feet, spilling most of his fries and falling on to the ground after them. Kai groaned but Mr. Dickenson only laughed. "I see Tyson hasn't changed," he muttered walking over to the other members of the Bladebreakers.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Kai added, following after him.

Once they had managed to drag Tyson out of the way of the elevator, where he was trying to get whatever fries he could grab that hadn't been squashed, Mr. Dickenson got down to business. "You all know about the up coming championship right?" They all nodded eagerly. "Well, obviously before you can get down to some serious training, you need to have your team together." Kai leant against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his chin against his chest. "You mean...?" Tyson was practically bursting with barely contained excitement. Mr. Dickenson nodded and, reaching into his pocket, pulled out five plane tickets.

"Here you are boys," he said, handing one to each of the teens, "five one way tickets to Hong Kong. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning at seven twenty-five so don't be late. I will be meeting you boys in Hong Kong on Saturday, where we'll all head over to Germany." They all smiled with joy and thanked Mr. Dickenson. "Not a problem," he answered, "I'll see you all on Saturday. But now I must be going. See ya's." With that he left, waving warmly at them as he went. Kai looked at his ticket and pushed himself off the wall. The others had already run for the elevator and he followed close behind at a more leisurely pace. They were finally going to get their final team member and Kai only hoped they were a worthy blader.


	4. Being Watched

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 4 – Being Watched!**

Sam stared at the phone in her hand for a few minutes before slowly replacing it back on its hook. An uneasy feeling began to grow inside her and she began to grow nervous. Looking over her shoulder, she couldn't see anyone hiding, but still couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her every movement. Before she could think about what to do, her Grandfather entered the room. "Who was it?" his soft voice asked her, his light blue eyes focused on her face.

Not wanting to worry her Grandfather, Sam just smiled. "Just a person from the beyblading embassy, Grandpa," she lied, trying to keep her voice steady. "What did they want?" he asked softly. Sam smiled, "Just reminding me about my boarding time. I'm going to Germany for the championships in a few days." In actual fact she had no idea when she was leaving, only that it would be very soon. Sam suddenly realised that her Grandfather was still talking. "A few days?" her Grandfather gasped, "but I thought the championships weren't until June and it's only April…" he paused, "isn't it?" Sam laughed at her Grandfathers reaction. "Yes Grandfather, it's April," Sam reassured the old man, "Mr. Dickenson just thought it'd be beneficial if I met the team and we practiced team battling for a month or so, so that I have time to adjust."

"Oh, ok," was all the elderly man said, before exiting the room.

Sam let out the breath she'd been holding and turned to look out the window. Sam had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. Heading into the garden was a shadow and whomever it belonged to had been watching her. Sam's nervousness began to grow as she tried to appear normal. Whoever was out there would be watching her and she didn't want them to know she was aware of their presence. Standing back up, she put her hand into her pocket and felt her fingers brush against her beyblade. Closing her fingers around it, she pulled it out and looked at it. She ran her fingers around the top of the blade and in response it glowed lightly. "I wonder why you do that?" Sam whispered, noticing her blades reaction to her touch. She shrugged, and replaced her blade. Entering the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of orange juice. As she slowly drank, she let her eyes roam through the garden, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She finished her drink and although she couldn't see anything, she knew someone was out there. 'Maybe I was just imagining things,' she thought. Hoping that her fear was only being caused by her imagination. To take her mind off her fears Sam decided to go outside and beyblade. 'If there is someone out there, then they'll likely show themselves if they see me alone,' Sam reasoned.

She placed the glass in the sink and headed for the door. "I'm going to do some training Grandpa," she called as she headed outside and over to her beyblading dish to train.

"I'm never sitting next to him again," Ray announced from his seat beside Tyson early the next morning. They were nearly at Hong Kong after a long and tiring flight Ray was quite excited about heading back to his hometown, and wondered if he knew who their new team mate was. However, at that moment his excitement was killed because of Tyson. Curiosity getting the better of him, Max, who was seated directly in front of Ray, turned around in his seat to see what had upset Ray. Tyson was, as usual, fast asleep. Using Ray's upper arm as a pillow, he leant his head on Ray's shoulder, his hair tickling Ray's face. Max stifled a giggle at the sight; glad he wasn't the one sitting beside Tyson. They had left Japan, to Tyson's horror, at 7:25 that morning and Tyson obviously decided he was in need of some extra beauty sleep as he had fallen asleep almost instantly and it was now nearing 8:30.

Just then Tyson's mouth opened and his tongue rolled out onto Ray's bare arm. "AAUUGHHHH!!!!!" Ray yelled, causing the Bladebreakers and the rest of the passengers on board to look towards them. Max burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. Kenny, who was seated right in front of Tyson, beside Max, was the first to turn away from the scene and continued to type away at his laptop. The rest of the passengers, including Kai, just glared at them for interrupting their flight and turned back to the front, some of them mumbling something about the immaturity of children.

Ray, by this time, had managed to push Tyson off him and was now rubbing his shoulder vigorously as if it was covered with germs (which it probably was). Throughout all of the commotion, Tyson had simply rolled over and was now half hanging off the chair, his arm dangling over the edge, hand scrapping the ground. His tongue was still hanging out of his open mouth.

Max sighed and reached over his seat to grab Ray's arm, preventing him from continuing his vigorous rubbing. Ray glared at Max for a moment before doubling his glare at Tyson. Max let go off Ray's arm, as Dizzi's sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from Kenny's computer, "if looks could kill, Tyson would be dead by now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Kai replied from his seat in front of Kenny. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded over his chest in his usual fashion. Ray nodded his head in agreement, as he looked once more at his sleeping team mate. "You're right," he mumbled, getting ready to strangle Tyson.

Max, still turned around in his seat, once again grabbed Ray's arms, just before they reached Tyson's neck. Ray sighed angrily and looked out the window, knowing his strangling of Tyson would have to wait. A 'ding' sounded form the intercom above their seats and the pilots voice rang out. "Attention passengers, we will be landing in Hong Kong airport in 15 minutes. Please prepare for landing." Max sighed with relief as he buckled his seatbelt.

Kenny had just finished looking up information on the upcoming championships in Germany and was putting his laptop carefully away in his bag when he noticed a person entering the toilet cubicle. He did a double take but the door had shut before he got to see the person again. Turning back around in his seat he shook his head doubtfully. "What's up Kenny?" Max asked, noticing the boy's confused expression.

"Nothing, it's just I thought I saw someone," Kenny replied, but something in his eyes made Max persist.

"Who?" Max asked. Kenny lowered his voice.

"Voltaire." Max looked back but the cubicle door was still shut. "Crazy right?" Kenny mumbled, settling back in his seat.

If Max hadn't turned around, he may have notice Kai stiffen suddenly at the mention of his Grandfather's name. 'Maybe not as crazy as you think Kenny,' he thought to himself as the plane landed and he started to rise from his seat. All the while wondering what his Grandfather was doing here and whether or not it had to do with their new team mate


	5. Unwanted Visitor

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 5 – Unwanted Visitor!**

The minute Sam stepped outside; she felt the sun warming her arms and face. Taking a deep breath of the cool air to calm her nerves, she jogged across the smooth pebble path as she headed for her training area. Although she was bare foot, the pebbles were so smooth that she hardly felt them as she picked up her pace. She passed the marble fountain and soon reached the grass. The minute she reached the grass she slowed down to a walk, enjoying the dampness of the morning dew. She walked passed the large oak tree as she went and ran her hand over its barky trunk. She ran her fingers along the trunk until she felt a few small dips in the bark. Stepping closer to the trunk she inspected it closely. She soon spotted what she was looking for. Engraved in the rough bark were the initials: B.S & S.C 4eva, inside a love heart. Sam knew those initials by heart. They stood for Belinda Sormei & Scott Coredori, the names of her parents, just before they were married. Sam's parents had died when she was six and she had lived with her Grandfather ever since. 'Except for those years I spent at…' Sam stopped her train of thought, remembering she had promised herself never to think about those things again. Kissing her fingers, she pressed them against the initials before walking over to the empty patch of grass beside the beyblading dish. Taking a deep breath she began to do some energetic stretches. Ever since she was six she had been doing aerobics on the grass every morning before she beybladed. As she stretched the muscles in her upper and lower body, she tried to keep her nerves down. It wasn't easy. She spent the next hour doing a variety of splits; flips and bends, all of which helped her stay strong and flexible.

A figure moved silently around the small forest area, that was Samantha Coredori's garden. It was a boy about eighteen years old. He had dark brown hair and steel grey eyes. He wore a pair of black khaki pants and a navy shirt. By shifting ever so slightly, he could clearly see their targets every movement, but still being hidden from view by the shadows. "Is that he, Trevor?" a deep voice whispered behind him. The boy called Trevor, glanced over his shoulder with one eye and kept the other fixed on the dark haired girl a few meters in front of him. The boy behind him was a year younger, seventeen, and very short. Standing at full height he only reached Trevor's chest. He had dark hair hidden by a white hat with two purple stripes and dark brown eyes. "Yeah that's her," Trevor replied, his voice low and husky, as he turned his full attention back to the girl. The younger boy started to walk silently forward.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, walking past Trevor. "Why don't we get her n-?" A hand pulling him backwards cut off his words. He landed on his butt amongst the grass.

"Because Stuart," hissed a low voice close to his ear, "we're only here for surveillance, not for action. Not until _h_e gives us the order. Got it?" The boy called Stuart nodded and Trevor turned his back to him as Stuart got slowly to his feet. "Now keep an eye on her or else…" Stuart swallowed and crouched behind a large tree beside him, his eyes focused intently ahead of him and on the girl, who was now standing in front on an old beyblading dish.

At nine o'clock exactly Sam took her beyblade out of her pocket. Walking up to the wooden dish, she loaded her blade into her launcher. Standing tall by the side of the dish she closed her eyes and let her mind travel. She thought all the way back to her last championship battle. She could clearly picture the crowded stands surrounding her and the screaming people sitting in them. But that wasn't what Sam focused on. Instead she let her mind focus on the team behind her. She could still see them sitting their and calling out helpful advise and cheering her on, Garnet loudest of all. She noticed Garnet wearing the exact same clothes as herself, with only a slight variation in colours. Garnet had always dressed like Sam, saying this way they look more like sisters. Sam smiled as her mind slowly went from one to the next. Once again she held her gaze on Jazon for just a moment longer. Sam's mind then went to the person before her. She didn't know her on a personal level, but she was her opponent for this battle. Sam heard DJ Jazzman announcing her name over the speakers to the cheering crowd. Sam steadied herself, ready for battle. "Ok," DJ Jazzman yelled, "and 3…2….1… Let It Rip!!!!!!" Sam launched her blade into the dish at the same time as her opponent. She couldn't remember her name but she was sure it was something along the lines of Juliet. Juliet appeared to be a year older then Sam, but Sam knew that age wasn't what mattered in a beyblade battle. What mattered was experience and skill. Both of which Sam had, the question was: did Juliet?

Sam decided it was time to find out. "Ok Drazema, front and centre." Her blade instantly obeyed her and headed straight for the centre of the dish. Juliet smirked at Sam's choice of manoeuvre. "Don't think that'll faze me and my blade," she yelled over to Sam. Sam looked at her squarely daring her to attack. Juliet took the bait. "Getzial, take her out!" Sam watched as Juliet's pink and white blade spun rapidly towards hers. Sam watched intently, then suddenly became aware of the crashing sound of two blades hitting together, and then heard the sound of a blade whizzing past her ear. Raising her hand she felt a blade landing firmly in her hand.

Opening her eyes she looked at her hand and saw her blade nestled in her palm. 'That's not right,' she thought, not remembering losing the last match. Looking down at her dish, she saw another blade spinning rapidly. She looked at it oddly. Juliet's blade was pink and white, this blade was blue and had a picture on the very top, indicating that it contained a bitbeast, like her own. Before she could study the picture to find out the kind of bitbeast, it flew from the dish and into the palm of a boy. Sam's eyes glanced at him briefly, taking in his appearance. He looked to be seventeen, and had dark blue hair, with a grey-blue fringe and maroon eyes. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with long, baggy blue pants and a long (and she meant really long) white scarf. On his arms were red arm gear but the weirdest thing about him was two blue triangles on both his cheeks. As she studied him, she soon became aware of a voice behind him. "Hey Kai, what was the big idea?" She looked behind him and saw a boy around the same age, walking towards him. He had blue hair and blackish-blue eyes. He wore a black top, with a red and white opened-jacket over top, and a pair of knee-high blue pants and brown gloves that opened just after the knuckles.

Directly behind him were three other teens, all boys and all around seventeen. The first had blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a pair of orange overalls (one sleeve off his shoulder) over a light green top, with matching green wristbands. Directly beside him was a boy with pitch-black hair, which was tied with a white band that wound down his back and down past his knees. He also had a red bandana died around his head displaying the ying-yang symbol. His eyes were a bright golden colour and he had white bandages wound up his arm, from his wrist to his elbow. He wore a white Chinese style top that ended a few inches below his waist and tied at the waist with a brown belt. Underneath he wore a pair of long blue pants. The last person of the group was very short, only up to the others chests, and he had light brown hair and wide-rimmed glasses sitting on top of his head, but she couldn't see his eyes. He was carrying a small grey laptop under one arm. He wore light purple shorts, with a white formal shirt and green tie. Her eyes went back to the boy at the front of the group. Kai? Something was familiar about that name. Kai glanced over his shoulder at the blue-haired teen. "Because, Tyson," he replied smoothly, "I was seeing if she was a worthy blader." He looked back at her, "obviously she isn't." Sam clenched her hands into fists and glared at Kai. She'd show him. "How about a proper match," she said, reaching for her launcher, "or are you all just talk?" Kai raised one eyebrow at her, but didn't make a move for his launcher.

"I don't see what's the point of humiliating you any further," he sneered. Sam bared her teeth.

"Put your blade where your mouth is and I'll show you who will be humiliated." She looked at him pointedly, "or are you too afraid that you'll lose to a girl?" Kai closed his hand over his blade.

"Sorry, but I don't battle against team mates," he replied.

"Team mate?" Sam asked confused.

Just then her Grandfather came out the door. "Hey Sam," he called out, walking over to her. Sam waited for him to arrive. "These are the Bladebreakers," he indicated to the group around him. Sam's eyes widened.

'These,' she thought to herself, 'are my new team mates?'


	6. A Worthy Teammate?

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 6 – A worthy team mate?**

"Come on guys," Tyson whined from the back of the group as they made their way down the busy streets of Hong Kong later that afternoon. "Just a few minutes rest? Please?"

"No," Kenny answered from beside Max, for the eighth time, according to Max's tally. "But I don't feel too good," Tyson cried, dragging his feet and curling his bottom lip up into a pout. "Well you're the one who ate all that food," Kenny replied logically. The plane had landed without any more incidents and they had immediately made their way through the bustling crowd. Kai had kept his eyes out for Voltaire or any of the other members from his previous team the Bladesharks, but so far he hadn't seen any and he began to wonder if Kenny _had_ just been mistaken. Tyson had woken from his sleep when Ray had whispered the word 'Lunchtime' into his ear as way of revenge. Tyson, of course, had been really upset and continued to complain until the others agreed to stop at a small, all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant on the way to their new team mates house.

Tyson nearly put the restaurant out of business, and would have if Kai hadn't taken away his blade, Dragoon, and threaten to destroy it. Now they were walking the rest of the way to stretch their muscles. "You know Tiger," Dizzi called from Kenny's laptop, "when they say 'all-you-can-eat' it's just a suggestion, not a challenge." Everyone laughed at this, except Tyson, who was slouched against the brick wall of a small shop; moaning loudly, and Kai, who just sighed and shook his head in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment as the people walking away stared at the group. "What's up Kai?" Max's cheerful voice asked, as he came up behind Kai. Kai only gave him a what-do-you-think' look and folded his arms across his chest. Max laughed and gave Kai a friendly punch in the arm. "Come on Kai," he grinned, "lighten up."

"Yeah!" Tyson yelled out, still leaning heavily against the wall. Kai stopped walking and turned to look at him. Kai then shot Tyson a look that could freeze water, before shaking his head in disgust at the immature young boy. "Hurry it up," Kai snapped. Tyson pushed himself off the wall slowly, taking time to poke his tongue out at Kai on the way. "Why? What's the hurry?" he asked, as he trudged along leisurely.

"In case you've forgotten, we've got a team mate to get," Kai replied through gritted teeth, his patience quickly deserting him.

"I didn't forget," Tyson replied, enjoying the fact that he was getting under Kai's skin, "but since when have you ever cared about a team mate?" He paused, took a breath and added, "or anyone else?" Kai ignored this last comment and smugly answered,

"Since I realised that the sooner we get our newest member, the sooner we get down to some serious training." Tyson moaned loudly,

"Great," he mumbled, "good-bye sleep-ins." Kai smirked at Tyson's reaction, knowing he had won this round, and continued walking past the rows of shops that lined the street.

Twenty minutes later they reached the address they were looking for. The place was unbelievable. The pebbled path waving throughout the garden, crunched under their feet as they walked along it. It brought them around the marble fountain, which Tyson couldn't help comment on. "Wow!" he cried, "cool! This guys parents must have great taste." Kai rolled his eyes. Once they were all standing under the wide veranda by the door, Kai stepped forward and knocked softly. There was no answer. Kai knocked louder. This time an elderly voice called out. "I'm coming, I'm coming." A few minutes later the door opened and an elderly man stood behind it. His hair and small moustache were both a dark grey and his eyes were a pale blue. "Can I help you?" Kai nodded,

"We're the Bladebreakers, we were told our newest team mate would be here." The old man smiled warmly.

"So you're the lucky team that gets my talented Sam, huh?" Kai raised one eyebrow in disbelief but decided not to answer.

"Is Sam in at the moment?" he said after a moment's silence.

"Yes, Sam's out the back training. Sam trains early every morning." He added proudly. "Please come through." He stepped aside to allow them to come in before leading the way through the house. "Well Kai," Tyson whispered, so that Mr. Coredori couldn't hear. "Sounds as though you'll actually like this guy, seeing as he gets up as early as you do for training." Kai just ignored him as he looked about the house.

It was neatly furnished but nothing out of the ordinary. The old man led them through a lounge room and into the kitchen. "Sam's out there," he said pointing out the glass door, "Would you like a drink?" All the Bladebreakers accepted, except Kai who shook his head.

"No. Just show me which way to go."

"Just keep going past the large oak, you'll find Sam at the beyblading dish."

"Thanks," Kai murmured, heading out through the glass door. The rest of the team sat down for a cold drink.

Kai walked through the backyard and soon neared the large oak tree. Walking beneath its shady branches, he spotted a girl around seventeen standing by a wooden dish. She had black hair tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes were closed so he couldn't see what colour they were. She was dressed in a Chinese style mini dress over top of black pants. He watched her launch her blade into the dish. It was black and silver but Kai wasn't sure if it contained a bitbeast or not. 'Only one way to find out,' Kai thought to himself, loading his launcher. Aiming it for the dish, he fired and watched as it struck her blade and knocked it out of the dish. As if on reflex, she caught her blade and opened her eyes. To Kai's amazement they were the brightest colour blue he had ever seen. He watched her face change from shock to confusion as she looked from her blade to his. Opening his palm, he recalled his blade and notice her eyes focus on him. She seemed to be studying him. "Hey Kai, what was the big idea?" he heard the indistinguishable voice of Tyson calling. He watched her eyes look behind him as she took in the rest of the team. She seemed to be thinking about something, and then her face went blank as she looked back at him.

"Because, Tyson," he replied smoothly, "I was seeing if she was a worthy blader." He looked back at her, "obviously she isn't." He felt very pleased with himself as she clenched her hands into fists and glared daggers at him.

"How about a proper match," she said, reaching for her launcher, "or are you all just talk?" Kai raised one eyebrow at her, but didn't make a move for his launcher.

"I don't see what's the point of humiliating you any further," he sneered. The girl bared her teeth.

"Put your blade where your mouth is and I'll show you who will be humiliated." She looked at him pointedly, "or are you too afraid that you'll lose to a girl?" Kai closed his hand over his blade, impressed with her spunk.

"Sorry, but I don't battle against team mates," he replied calmly. Her face took on a look of pure confusion.

"Team mate?" she asked.

Her grandfather's voice suddenly could be heard. "Hey Sam," he called out, walking over to her, "these are the Bladebreakers," he indicated to the group around him. Sam's eyes widened in shock, bur she quickly regained her composer. Before she could say anything, Tyson stepped forward and shook her hand. "Hey, you're a girl!" he exclaimed. Sam raised one eyebrow at him in a smug smile.

"Got a problem?" she asked in mock sweetness. Tyson shook his head and smiled,

"Not at all. It's actually kind of cool to have someone different on the team." Sam winked playfully at him, then looked around the rest of the group.

"So…do I guess whose who or are you fellows going to introduce yourselves?" Tyson went a little pink.

"Sorry," he mumbled, then extended his hand. "I'm Tyson." Sam shook his hand briefly. Tyson pointed to the rest of his team mates. "This is Max, Ray, Kenny and our fearless leader Kai, whom you've met." Sam looked around at each of them, her eyes landing again on Kai. "Unfortunately," she muttered. Tyson hung his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to him," he said cheerfully. Sam shrugged off his arm.

"Great," she said sarcastically, "well, it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm Sam…your new team mate, I guess." Before anyone else could respond, Kai stepped forward.

"That all depends on whether or not you're a worthy blader," he replied, "we don't except amateurs on this team." Sam narrowed her eyes.

"Care to see what this 'amateur' can do?" she asked sweetly, holding up her launcher. Kai smiled, "I already told you I don't battle team mates. Except In training."

"Well I don't need any training," Sam shot back, "but seeing as I'm not on your team yet, there shouldn't be a problem." Sam squared her shoulders, "come on, let's battle!" Kai raised one eyebrow and smirked. "Your choice," he answered, taking one side of the dish. "Your funeral," Sam retorted, standing opposite him.

Max stepped up to the side of them, and Ray and Tyson crowded around too. Kenny opened his laptop and began typing in various commands to try and find any information on Sam or her blade. Meanwhile, Max started the count down. "Ready, 3…2…1…Let it RIP!!!!" Kai and Sam launched their blades and together, they landed in the dish.


	7. Battleof sorts?

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 7 – An unusual battle!**

Sam didn't waste anytime in her battle. "Drazema, let's take him out!" Sam watched her blade spin rapidly towards Kai's. She could hear Max commentating in the background.

"Sam makes the first move. And what agility! But Kai does not even seem worried by this on coming attack." Sam glanced up at Kai and saw his face had no emotion showing and his eyes were fixed firmly on her blade. She looked back at her blade as it connected with Kai's and rebounded back slightly. Sam narrowed her eyes as her blade spun back around and rammed his again. "And Sam's blade is really giving it to Kai's," Max continued, "but his blade seems to be too strong for her blade to faze." Once more her blade bounced back. Kai caught her eye and smiled smugly. "Is that the best you can do?" Sam shook her head.

"Yeah right," she replied, her eyes going back to the battle at hand. Kai did the same, waiting the perfect time to attack. Sam let him wait. "Well?" she asked after a moment.

"What?" Kai asked not taking his eyes off her blade. "Are you going to show me what you're capable of?" Kai smiled.

"In a hurry to lose?" Sam smirked.

"Please," she said, indicating to her blade, "take your best shot." Kai shrugged.

"Ok Dranzer, go get her."

"And Kai's finally making a move for Sam's blade," Max remarked.

He watched his blade do a sharp turn and head towards Sam's, gaining momentum as it went. Sam studied with interest as his blade headed towards hers. A few seconds later there was a tremendous clash, and his blade collided with hers. "Sam looks to be in trouble," Max whispered. Everyone watched in anticipation to see what would happen. Sam's blade ricocheted off his and teetered on the edge of the dish. All those watching held their breath. Sam kept her face emotionless as she had been taught. "Drazema, hard right and use Shadow Strike!" Sam ordered her blade. Sam's blade suddenly swung to the right and sped down the dish towards the centre, where Kai's blade spun in place. "What a comeback!" Max exclaimed. Once it was a few centimetres away from Kai's blade, it began to circle it. Its momentum picked up, and suddenly it was like the black of the blade was streaming off and creating a dark fog. The fog soon covered the dish and concealed both blades from sight. "Both blades have completely gone from view!" Max's voice could be heard again, "what is Sam up to?" Kai looked at the fog, unfazed by the inability to see his blade. "Is that it?" he asked.

Sam shook her head and smiled. "The best is yet to come," was all she said, and then addressed her blade. "Ok Draz, now!" The next thing anyone knew, a silver light shot through the darkness and shot towards the centre of the dish, leaving a silver trail. A split second later there was a crashing of metal and a blade shot through the black fog. Everyone looked down to see a blue blade lying on the grass by Sam's feet. Sam picked it up and tossed it to Kai, who caught it easily.

Sam opened her hand and her blade returned. "And round 1 goes to Sam," Max said, in his best commentators voice. "Who will win round 2?" Kai reloaded his blade.

"Enough playing around," he called over to Sam, "let's battle seriously." Sam shrugged,

"Fine with me." She loaded her launcher again. Max started the countdown.

"3…2…1…let it RIP!" Sam launched her blade and it hit the dish a split second after Kai's. This time Kai made the first move.

"Ok Dranzer, knock her out of the dish." The blue blade spun rapidly towards the slightly smaller blade.

"Drazema, steady yourself and use Mountain Boulder now." Sam's blade spun steadily in the centre of the dish, preparing to block Kai's oncoming blade, but the attack was too strong and the dark blade was slammed out of the dish. Sam opened her hand and recalled it even before it hit the ground. Kai called back his blade too. "And Kai takes round 2," Max stated still caught up in his role as commentator, "which makes it one all. Who will become the champion?"

Kai smiled smugly over at Sam. "Feel like backing out?"

"You wish," Sam replied, preparing her launcher for the final battle. Kai did the same. Max looked from one to the other.

"Ok…3…. 2…1…let it RIP!" This time both blades hit the dish at the same time.

"This will be an intense battle," Max commented. Sam's blade headed straight for the center of the dish. Kai's blade spun around the outer rim. Kai once again made the first move.

"Dranzer. Attack now." Kai's blade charged at Sam, but Sam was ready.

"Drazema, doge it." Drazema obeyed, ducking to the right moments before Kai's blade reached it. Kai narrowed his eyes.

"This is getting boring," he commented, "time to heat things up. Dranzer use Spin Fire."

A large red beam burst out from within the blade before transforming itself into a brilliant bird...a phoenix. Dranzer portrayed itself as angrily as its master did, as he opened his golden beak to let out a deafening cry. Instantly fire surrounded the dish. Everyone watched closely, waiting to see what would happen to Sam's blade. But there was something unusual about Sam's blade. It was glowing a strange silver colour. Sam noticed this too and opening her hand, recalled her blade and pushed it into her pocket. "I forfeit," she murmured as way of excuse. Kai glared at her.

"I knew you weren't a worthy team mate." Sam shot a death look at him.

"I think you should wait until Drazema's at her strongest. Then tell me who's unworthy." Kai shrugged,

"Backing out of a match would never occur with a professional blader. Obviously you don't have what it takes."

"Just wait," Sam replied, "just wait." Max looked a Sam then at Kai.

"I guess that makes Kai the winner." Kai rolled his eyes.

"Some victory," he replied sarcastically, all the while thinking about the strange glow that had come from Sam's blade. For some unknown reason, he felt as if he had seen it before.


	8. Strange Remeberances

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 8 – Strange Remembrances!**

The rest of the Bladebreakers followed Kai as he led the way back to the house. Sam hung back a bit, looking at the ground. 'Why Drazema, of all days, did you have to do that today?' Sam thought, glancing at her blade. It glowed lightly in response to her voice. Sam stared at it for a while before becoming aware of someone talking to her. "Hey Sam?" Glancing up, Sam saw Max waiting for her. "Don't worry about Kai," he said cheerfully when she reached him, "he doesn't get on with anyone. Especially Tyson!" Sam smiled slightly. Max smiled back before adding, "guess I just wanted to welcome you to the team." He walked off to join the others then. When he had only taken a few steps Sam called out to him. "It was Max right?" Max turned around and nodded. Sam smiled. "Thanks Max!" Max smiled back before entering the house. Sam followed after him, stopping at the door to take one more glance around the garden before disappearing inside.

All the Bladebreakers were seated around the table, except Kai who was leaning against the wall. Sam walked past the confused teens without a backward glance. Entering the kitchen she poured herself a glass of water and drank it thirstily. "When's our flight leave?" she asked. Kai folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. Sam looked around at each of the boys but when no one answered she asked again. This time all eyes looked towards Kai. Feeling their eyes on him, Kai cracked one eye opened and looked at the from under his eyelid. "Mr. Dickenson said he would contact us here in order to inform us on our next flight," he answered after a moment, "Until then it looks like we're stuck here." He said the last line as if disappointed and Sam had to bite back a sharp reply that was building in her mind. In the end she just prayed that he would leave anyway.

"Well, while you're here, can I get you guys anything?" All faces lit up at the prospect of food. "I take that as a yes," Sam commented, looking around at the teens. "What do you boys like?" Before anyone could answer, Tyson jumped in. "Whatever you've got!" he cried enthusiastically. Sam stared at him in surprise.

"He has this slight obsession with food," Ray explained. "That's an understatement," Kai mumbled from against the wall. Tyson glared at him, and Sam found herself smiling despite her dislike of Kai.

"Ok…" she said after a moment. Walking over to the large pantry, she started scanning through it. "Ummm…one of you guys might want to give me a hand. Then glancing around the door, she added: "Anyone but him," she looked directly at Tyson. This made everyone laugh, except Tyson, who was just about to run over to Sam but now instead sat down on one of the chairs and sulked, and of course Kai. In the end Max went over to help Sam. Standing slightly behind Sam, he looked through the contents of the cupboard but didn't know what to ask for. Just then Sam had an idea. "I'll tell you what," she said, "you all sit down and I'll cook you guys a traditional Chinese meal. How's that sound?"

"That sound's great," Max replied, "but we don't want you to go to too much trouble." Sam smiled warmly. "No trouble at all," she replied, "I was about to fix breakfast for me and Grandpa anyway."

Going back into the pantry, she proceeded to take out some the ingredients she would need and place them on the bench. This included: two different kinds of noodles: angel hair pasta and crunchy noodles, a small bottle of canola oil, a bottle of soy sauce, some chicken stock, a bag of cornflour and some vegetables: celery, red capsicums, mushrooms, onions, mung bean sprouts and snow peas. She then went to a smaller cupboard beside the pantry and grabbed a large wok, saucepan, mixing bowl, chopping board, two serving trays and large serving plate. Finally she went back over to the bench, pulled out a sharp cutting knife and wooden spoon from the cutlery drawer and set to work. First she plugged the wok in and left it to heat up, then she placed the two saucepans on the stove, filled them with water and left it to boil. She then started dicing the capsicums into long thins strips. She was about to do the same to the celery when Ray walked over to her. "Let me give you a hand," he offered. Sam smiled,

"Thanks," she said. Handing him the knife, she got another one out of the drawer for herself, and while Ray sliced the celery and mushrooms, she did the onion. Cutting them in half, she then went and ran them under cold water for a moment before returning to the bench to cut them. "It stops the onions from irritating your eyes," she explained to Ray, who was looking at her quizzically and sliced the onions quickly. Once the vegetables were done, she turned to Ray. "You know how to cook noodles?" Ray nodded. "Great," Sam exclaimed, "then would you mind taking care of these for me? The drainers are in that cupboard over there if you need them" She indicated to the drawer where she had taken the saucepans from and held up the packet of pasta. Ray shrugged; "Sure," he replied taking the pasta off her and going over to the oven he set to work while Sam began preparing the rest of the meal.

First she combined the soy sauce, chicken stock and corn flour into a small bowl and mixed it together well. Then placing that to one side, she poured two tablespoons of canola oil into the wok and let it heat up, before adding the celery, mushrooms, capsicums and onion. She proceeded to sauté (or fry) that for about three minutes, until the celery was crisp and tender. She then stirred in the bean sprouts, snow peas and the mixture from the bowl she had done earlier. She then cooked that for four minutes, until the mixture thickened and was almost boiling. She then spent the last minute stirring the mixture continually.

Turning off the wok she turned to Ray. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Ray replied, "In fact…" he poured the angel haired pasta into the drainer, "I'm done."

"Great," Sam replied. Taking the pasta off him, she shook it to make sure it was drained properly, before adding it to the vegetables and mixing thoroughly. "Ok!" she called from the kitchen, "everyone sit at the table! You too Ray," she added. Ray obediently left the kitchen and sat down at the table with his team mates. When he had left, Sam pulled out seven traditional Chinese bowls and cups that her Grandfather had bought as a set, which consisted of ten plates, bowls and cups. He had been very proud of the set, them having been hand carved and painted, and had bought them immediately. Now Sam aligned them around a tray, one for each teen, plus her and her Grandfather. She then poured the vegetable and noodle mix onto a large serving plate and sprinkled the crunchy noodles over the top. Placing that on another serving tray, she added a serving spoon and seven sets of chopsticks, lifting one into each hand, resting most of the weight on her arms, she carried them into the dining room where the boys sat. The moment she entered Ray jumped to his feet. "Let me give you a hand with that," he said. Sam shook her head. "Sit down," she laughed, "I've been doing this for ages." She placed the meal in the middle of the table and began to hand out the bowls, while Ray sat back down. Once all the bowls, cups and chopsticks were all handed out, she went to the door and called for her Grandpa. He came soon after and they all started eating. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and proceeded to use them traditionally. Everyone, that is, except Tyson. He fumbled with the chopsticks, unable to pick up the food long enough to place it into his mouth. Once he realised this, he tried to shish kabob the food. This didn't work to well either. Giving up all hope, he lifted the bowl to his mouth and proceeded to use the chopsticks to spoon the meal into his mouth. Sam watched this in a mixture of amusement and disgust. Finally she decided to help. "Do you want a fork?" she offered before adding, "and a spoon?" Tyson glanced up at her and lowered his bowl. "Yes please," he mumbled, his mouth still full of food.

Sam excused herself and went and grabbed a fork and spoon for Tyson. Handing them to him, she took her seat and started her own meal. Kai glanced at her as she ate and noticed she picked out the onions that were through her meal and examined it carefully before eating. Kai stared at her for a moment longer before he finished his own meal. All were satisfied after one serving, except Tyson, who would have had thirds if Kai hadn't stopped him by threatening a five o'clock start tomorrow morning. Tyson obligingly sat back down. Once all were finished, Sam cleared the table in the same waitress-style that she had served it. A few minutes later she returned with a tray, on top of which was a teapot full of tea, along with a small pitcher of milk and container of sugar. Along side it was a plate of assorted biscuits. Placing it on the table she placed some teaspoons down beside it and started pouring everyone tea. Once she got to Kai, she poured his then hesitated. "White and one, right?" Kai glanced at her.

"What?" Sam coughed.

"You like your tea white and one, don't you?" Kai narrowed his eyes. "How did you know that?" Sam shrugged, and continued pouring everyone else's tea.

Tyson immediately went for a chocolate chip cookie and ate it in one bite. Kai glanced at him in disgust before picking up his tea and taking a sip. Sam took her seat again and helped herself to a biscuit too. It was at that time, that Tyson took a large drink of his tea and swallowed it. "Aughh, hot," he gasped, quickly using his hand to fan his tongue. Unfortunately he hadn't put the cup down properly and it spilled over and onto his lap. "Auuuggghh!!" he cried, jumping to his feet and dancing around. Sam quickly placed down her biscuit and ran to get a damp, cold cloth. Handing it to Tyson, she took her seat again and picked up her biscuit. Taking a small bite, she tried not to stare at Kai but couldn't stop herself. She seemed to remember him. But how? And from where?


	9. Stalker!

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 9 – Stalker!**

Once everyone had finished their tea, and Tyson had managed to finish of the last of the biscuits, everyone wandered into the living room. Max, Ray and Tyson settled themselves onto the large sofa, while her grandfather took one of the armchairs. Kenny glanced around, noticing there was only one more armchair in the room, and didn't want to seem rude by taking it. He needn't have worried, as Sam, upon noticing his anxiety, took the liberty of setting herself at her grandfather's feet, whilst Kai took his usual spot, leaning against the wall. Sighing with relief, Kenny darted over to the chair and flopped into it.

The room fell into an eerie silence after that. Sam glanced around the room and realised everyone was looking at her expectantly. Sam cleared her throat. "Well seeing as you're all…. staying here," she glanced pointedly at Kai who stared back at her blankly, "you might as well make yourselves at home. You will all be sleeping out here tonight, since this is the largest room in the house. The sofa over there folds into a bed, or I can bring down sleeping bags and tatami mats." She glanced around expectantly. The boys glanced unsurely at each other, then at Kai, who rolled his eyes in impatience. "The mats will be fine," he snapped after a moment.

Sam smiled as nicely as she could, despite how much her blood boiled at Kai's attitude. Standing up, she patted her grandfather's shoulder gently before looking at Kai. "Fine then," she said, through partially clenched teeth, "as you're already standing then, would you mind giving me a hand?" She smiled innocently at him. Kai narrowed his eyes dangerously at her as he pushed himself off the wall.

Sam led the way upstairs and down the hall. As he walked behind her, Kai took in the house. The walls along the hall was covered in photos of what he guessed were Sam's family. Turning away with disinterest, he noticed a room on his left. As he passed it, he saw it was a fairly large sized room, with cream-coloured carpet and purplish-white walls. On one side of the room was a bookshelf, which he noticed was crammed full of books, but he was too far away to see what they were about. A desk sat opposite it, covered in various objects and a bed set in another corner, made, but with a few wrinkles as though it had just been laid on. Kai's eyes scanned the various posters on the walls, before his eyes went to the ceiling. He studied the two posters there, but before he could look closely at them the door was slammed shut.

He looked down to see Sam glaring at him. "Don't you know it's rude to enter a girls room without permission?!" She snapped. Kai smirked, and indicated to his feet. "I never entered your room," he replied smugly. Sam's eyes narrowed until they were mere slits, but he could still see the fire in her eyes. "Be sure that it stays that way." She hissed. Kai met her gaze, unflinchingly. His eyes were suddenly drawn by a light glow coming from Sam's pocket, but she turned away from him before he could find out what it was.

The passed two more rooms on the way down the hall. One that he guessed was the bathroom, though it's door was closed. The other must have been the study, going by the computer and various bookshelves within it. Though he didn't bother looking at these, at the risk of enraging his 'host' again. He glanced away from the room to see that Sam had stopped and was opening a cupboard, which he noticed was full of sheets, towels and other such things.

Sam was standing on the bottom shelf, in order to reach the mats on the very top. As her fingers brushed against them she rose a little higher on her toes so she was actually able to grip them properly. Kai was slightly amazed by her balance, as she wasn't holding onto anything, resting all her balance solely on her feet. With a quick twist she suddenly jumped from the bottom shelf and onto the floor, bringing the mats down with her, which she thrust at Kai. Kai took them on reflex and before he could say anything, Sam had her back turned to him as she rummaged through the lower shelves.

As she did so, her dress lifted up a few inches revealing her lower back. It was then that Kai noticed the markings on her back. Part of it had been cut off, so Kai couldn't tell what it was, but some abstract picture had been tattooed onto the middle of her back. Kai noticed what appeared to be the tops of letters underneath the tattoo, but the top of Sam's pants had cut of the words. Before he could try and make out what the words were, Sam stood up, pulled down the back of her dress and swung around to face him. In her hands she held a pile of sleeping bags.

Without saying a word, she brushed past him and back over to the stairs. Kai watched her walk past, his mind still on the tattoo on her back. As he thought he turned and followed after her. Once he reached the stairs, he observed with amusement as she climbed onto the railing with ease and slid down, landing on her feet. Kai shook his head and walked down the stairs instead.

Once he entered the living room her found Sam had placed the sleeping bags on the floor and was rearranging the furniture so as to give the boys more room. Max and Ray were helping, while Kenny worked away on his computer. Tyson was nowhere to be seen, nor was Sam's Grandfather. He heard a sound of clattering dishes coming from the kitchen and knew he had found Tyson. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he began to lay the mats out on the carpet.

The boys, excluding Tyson, then went about making their beds while Sam went to grab pillows for them. She returned a few minutes later, and soon all the beds were made and ready. At that moment Tyson walked in carrying a bag of chips in one hand and a chocolate biscuit in the other. He had crumbs and chocolate smudges around his face, and Sam wondered how many other biscuits he had already consumed.

Sam looked over at Kai and saw he was glaring at Tyson. "What do you think you are doing?" he growled. Tyson looked up innocently, shoving the other biscuit into his mouth, as though he was afraid Kai was about to snatch it from him. "Sam said we were to make ourselves at home," he mumbled, crumbs spraying from his mouth as he talked. Ray groaned, Max shook his head, smiling to himself, Kenny was too engrossed in his computer to even notice what was going on and Kai was just looking disgusted. Sam started to laugh. Tyson blinked at her before smiling. "I may need to rethink my words from now on," Sam giggled. Tyson nodded, swallowed his biscuit and grabbed a handful of chips, before offering them around.

Everyone settled down after that. Kenny sat quietly with his laptop, talking and typing away to himself. Tyson sat on the sofa, his feet tucked up beneath him, munching away happily. Kai sat on the floor against the wall, arms folded, eyes closed. Ray was looking at the photos on the walls, while Max and Sam had a quiet game of 'Go fish'. "Got any fives?" Max asked Sam. Sam smiled. "Go fish!" Max lent forward and grabbed a card from the pile in the centre. "Got an Ace?" Sam asked. Max groaned and handed over the card he had just picked up. Sam laughed and placed her cards on the pile in front of her. "I'm out!" she declared, taking seven new cards for herself. "So where's your grandfather?" Max asked, watching as Sam sorted through her cards. "Probably in the library," Sam replied, "he spends a lot of his time studying in there…got any threes?" Max shook his head and Sam lent in for another card. "Go fish. What does your grandfather study?"

"Literature mainly. Though a bit of science too."

"Oh." Max smiled. "Got a king?" Sam handed over her card with a pout. They continued to play until Sam's grandfather appeared and told them it was time for Dinner. Sam had made everyone sandwiches for lunch, though the majority of the group was full (by majority I mean everyone but Tyson) so they spent the afternoon relaxing, each one glad for the peace and quiet.

After a filling meal, the boys decided to call it a night, suffering from jet lag and wanting to have a good nights sleep as they would have training tomorrow. Her grandfather had disappeared after dinner so Sam said goodnight to the boys before heading upstairs herself. There she had a quick shower and got into her pyjamas. Climbing in to bed, she thought about her new team. They were very different from her old team and Sam wondered how she'd go adjusting. Sam's mind soon wandered to the leader of the team and she fell asleep trying to think of how she could possibly know him.

Sam stirred in her sleep. 'No…" she murmured, twisting around, "no… please…no." She started to thrash about more wildly as her once peaceful dream suddenly became a nightmare. "No!' Sam woke with a start. Glancing wildly around the room, she tried to work out where she was. She soon recognised her room and sighed with relief. 'That dream had been so real,' she thought, surprised to find herself still safe in her bed. Shuddering to herself she looked out the window and saw the sun had not yet risen. Glancing at her clock, she saw it was only 5:28 in the morning. She groaned knowing she'd never get back to sleep.

She sat there for a moment wondering what to do before she slipped out of her bed and started to pace. She hated staying still and wanted to get outside and do something. Going over to her door, she turned the handle and opened the door, praying it wouldn't squeak. To her relief it didn't and she made her way over to the stairs. Sitting on the railing she slid down silently and landed on the carpet with a noiseless 'thud'. Glancing around, she shuddered at the ominous silence that had fallen over the house. As she passed the living room she saw the Bladebreakers all spread out on their tatami mats sleeping peacefully. By peaceful she didn't include Tyson's loud snoring, which echoed throughout the house every few minutes, breaking the silence.

Being careful not to wake them, she walked outside and closed the door quietly behind her. Not bothering to put on her shoes she ran across the pebbles and over to the large oak in her back yard. Once under its shady leaves, she kneeled before it, her hand resting against the carvings. "Hey mum, dad," she whispered, "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come talk to you. You don't mind do you? So much has happened since you left. I've been training Drazema every morning mum, just like I promised the day you…"she paused feeling tears well up in her eyes and fall down her cheeks at the unhappy thoughts. "Well never mind. Oh, guess what?" she whispered, wiping away the tears. "You never will. I'm seventeen now and I'm going to be a part of the Bladebreakers. You know? The world champions! Cool huh? We're going to Germany soon, to train for the championships. I can't wait. I'm the only girl, but they're all so nice to me. They treat like a sister. You know how I always wanted brothers. I wish you could meet them all. The only one I can't understand is Kai. He's the leader. I don't understand what's up with him. But Max tells me he's always like that, so at least it's not just me. Max is the nicest of them all mum and dad. He's the first one to make me feel like part of the team. He…"

Her words thoughts were cut of by the sound of a twig snapping behind her. "What was that!" her mind cried. Her stalker was back! Leaping to her feet her hands instantly went to her waist for her blade. It was then that Sam realised she'd left it inside. Groaning to herself, she spun around, wishing she had remembered her blade.


	10. Interesting Information

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 10 – Interesting Information!**

Hands clenched ready by her side, Sam spun round gracefully on her heel to face her assailant. Her eyes met the person's behind her, already staring into them in defiance. However, a split second later they changed from defiance to shock "You!"

Kai stirred in his sleep. Something was bothering him, telling him to wake up. Kai tried to push this feeling away until his ears picked up the sound of feet shuffling across the floor. Opening one eye just a crack, he caught sight of a figure moving quickly but silently through the room. In the dark he couldn't make out who it was or whether it was male or female. He watched as the figure walked through the lounge room and disappear into the kitchen. A few seconds later he heard the sound of a door gently sliding open and then closing again. Whoever it was had gone outside.

Kai closed his eyes again and tried to fall back asleep. However, after a few minutes his curiosity got the better of him and he sat up. When his eyes had adjusted to the gloom, he stood up and made his way as quietly as possible into the kitchen. He needn't have worried though, as Tyson's loud snoring suddenly rumbled through the house, masking any sound he would have made.

Going out through the kitchen door he glanced around the back yard and realised just how early it was. Glancing at his watch, he illuminated the numbers and saw it was only 0534 (aka 5:34 in the morning). Grumbling to himself about the early awakening, he suddenly became aware of something moving ahead of him. Glancing up he caught sight of someone ducking behind the large oak.

Crossing the pebbles as silently as he could, the moment his feet touched grass he broke into a jog. As he neared the tree he stopped and listened. He soon became aware of someone speaking in low tones. Unable to make out what was being said, he walked a little closer, keeping his eyes on where he was stepping so as not to alert the person of his presence. Soon he was able to make out some of the words. "….. I don't understand what's up with him. But Max tells me he's always like that, so at least it's not just me." The voice paused as Kai took a step closer. He could now see the person before him. Crouched in front of the oaks trunk, talking softly. Their black hair fell around their back disguising what it is they were wearing. As the voice continued talking, Kai realised it was a girls voice, one he recognised. "Max is the nicest of them all mum and dad. He's the first one to make me feel like part of the team. He…" Kai cursed as a branch snapped underneath his weight. He had been so busy listening to the conversation he hadn't noticed where he was walking.

He noticed the girl in front of him tense at the sound. She rose to her feet, hands clenched by her side and swiftly turned around to face him. As their eyes locked, Kai watched them change from defiance to shock. "You!" Sam cried, her eyes flaring in anger, and her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Kai smirked. "Didn't scare you, did I?" he said, quickly taking in her appearance. She was barefoot and wearing a light purple coloured pyjama set. They sat very loosely on her body but were not at all unflattering to her slim figure.

Sam only intensified her glare. "Don't flatter yourself!" she spat. Kai met her eyes once more and couldn't help but notice the girls pink cheeks and slightly red eyes. The realisation that the girl had been crying came as a bit of a shock to him, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. "Mores the pity," he replied, glancing behind her to see whom she had been talking to. But whoever it was, was nowhere in sight. Kai looked around in confusion, not having seen or heard anyone leaving.

Sam noticed his confused expression and smiled to herself. Kai frowned at her. "Who where you talking to?" he demanded. Sam shrugged, her smirk widening. She went to step past him, but Kai followed her. "Who were you talking to?" he demanded again. Sam ignored him and stepped to the right but Kai followed her again. Sam growled at him in annoyance as he followed her left again. Kai just smiled at knowing he was getting on her nerves. Sam's hands were clenched by her side, as he continued to mimic her steps. Having had enough of Kai's childish act, she fake stepped left and quickly swung right, stepping around him and smiling in victory.

Kai spun on his heel as Sam walked towards the house. "Thanks for the dance," she called over her shoulder as she crunched her way across the pebbles. Kai just glowered at her before trudging his way after her. It was getting close to six o'clock now, and the sun was just starting to rise. Kai was seriously considering waking the boys so he could relent his anger out on someone…namely Tyson

Sam, however, didn't stick around to watch Kai rouse the boys, but went upstairs to ventilate her anger. "Who does he think he is?" she hissed, pacing restlessly in her room. "Arrogant, ill-mannered…" She sighed angrily. Suddenly feeling cooped up and agitated; she quickly changed, grabbed her blade and headed down the stairs.

By the time Kai had reached the end of the kitchen, she was sliding back down the railing and heading for the door. Kai watched as she stalked past him, grabbing and apple on the way. She was now wearing a pair of faded hipster jeans and a short-sleeved, blue shirt that clung to her upper body ending a few inches below her breasts. She had tied her hair up into a bun with a blue ribbon tied around it. As she stormed out the back door, Kai's eyes once again came to rest on her tattoo. He could see it more clearly then before now, but he still couldn't make out what it was. The words were still covered too. He wondered what they said, but decided he'd find out later. Right now he was feeling like torturing someone…especially Tyson!

"Mr. D!" Tyson's voice echoed through the small office and Kai watched the secretary jump a little in surprise. It was just after three o'clock that afternoon and Kai was feeling much better. After waking the boys up soon after Sam had left the house. He put them through a hard few hours of training on the grass in Sam's yard, as Sam was using the dish. Max had asked why they didn't invite Sam to join in and Kai had responded by emphasizing that this was a _team_ training session. Max had wisely kept his mouth shut after that.

At nine o'clock Sam cooked them all pancakes, much to Tyson's joy and it was soon after this that she had received a call from Mr. Dickenson, asking them to call on him at three o'clock that afternoon for information on the Germany Championships coming up. So after having a relaxing morning and a light lunch, they arrived here on time, Sam's grandfather dropping them off and telling them he'd pick them up again at four-thirty.

They were now standing in Mr. Dickenson's office, waiting to find out the news about the upcoming Germany Championships. Sam hung at the rear surveying the office. She had been here a couple of times before and it hadn't changed much. A large oak desk, covered in papers. A sofa and an armchair, a few pot plants, a bookcase and a filing cabinet were placed in various places around the room. It was really a very cosy office, with a view over looking the busy streets of her hometown, Hong Kong.

Sam brought her attention back to Mr. Dickenson, who had now risen from his chair and come over to greet them. "Hello Tyson," Mr. Dickenson greeted the hyperactive teen, taking his hand. "And the rest of the Bladebreakers of course," he added, nodding to each one, his eyes falling on her. He let go of Tyson's hand and came over to her. "And Sam," he said happily giving her a hug, "so good to see you again. It's been a while." Sam hugged him back; glad to see him too, though she would never say so aloud.

Mr. Dickenson straightened up and directed them to have a seat, as he returned to his chair. Max, Ray and Kenny sat on the sofa, while Tyson grabbed the armchair. Kai lent against the wall and Sam stayed where she was. Mr. Dickenson smiled over at them. "I bet your all wondering about the upcoming championships." Everyone nodded eagerly, except for Sam and Kai who just shrugged. "Well, I have with me…" he reached into one of the drawers on his desk and pulled out an envelope, "your plane tickets, plus all the information on the rules and regulations." He looked around at everyone, his eyes landing on Sam. "Including the adding of another member to the team. As a new rule, the BBA has decided there must be six members on every team that wants to compete. Which is why I chose Sam."

Kai scoffed. "So you chose a _girl_ to join our team?"

Everyone went silent at these words and Sam glared at him. Mr. Dickenson coughed uncomfortably. "Yes… you see Kai…the BBA has also decided that there must be at least one _female_ blader on every team that wishes to compete." Kai blinked in surprise while everyone else's eyebrows rose. Sam just smirked. "But we don't need an amateur blader joining our team," Kai declared. Mr. Dickenson chuckled. "I think you'll find that Sam is no amateur, Kai. In fact, I think you'll find Sam is quite an interesting person." Sam's eyes narrowed and she growled warningly at Mr. Dickenson, who smiled at her reassuringly. "But I'll leave it up to her to tell you that…when she's ready."

'Like that'll ever happen,' Sam thought bitterly as Mr. Dickenson handed Kai the envelope. "Now your flight to Germany leaves tomorrow at eight forty so be ready and good luck with your training. I'll meet you all at the airport." He waved goodbye to them as they filed out of the room. Tyson bouncing up and down with excitement. "Wow, Germany!" he cried, "I can't wait!" Sam sighed and shook her head, feeling Kai's eyes glaring into her back. She groaned aloud in frustration. "Get over yourself Kai!" she snapped, not bothering to turn around. "It's not my choice to be here, but obviously your little team needs me in order to participate in this tournament. You should be thanking me." She heard Kai 'humph' behind her followed by his footsteps before he was standing beside her. "You loose this tournament for us and I will…" But Sam didn't let him finish. "Don't worry Kai…" she hissed, slipping past him, "I am not one to loose anything! If I were you, I'd be more worried that I may be the one that wins this tournament for you!" With these words, she stormed outside onto the streets of Hong Kong, with the rest of the Bladebreakers following behind her, Kai scowling at her back.


	11. Germany, Here We Come!

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 11 – Germany, here we come!**

Sam sighed. The return trip home had been spent in complete silence, except for her Grandfather's tries to make polite conversation and Tyson's excited babble every now and then about the upcoming championships. Kai hadn't looked at her since they'd gotten into her grandfathers car, and had spent the whole trip starring out the window. Sam was quite sure everyone was glad when the car finally pulled into her drive and came to a stop in front of the house. Here they all filed out, except for her grandfather, who took the car to the garage.

Once inside the house, Sam left the boys to themselves and went to pack for tomorrows trip. She couldn't believe she was going to Germany. She unclipped Drazema and looked at her. It had been a while. She rubbed her thumb over Drazema and smiled sadly, she just hoped they could live up to everyone's expectations. Sam shook these negative thoughts from her mind, clipped her blade back onto her belt and went over to her cupboard. Pulling out a suitcase she began filling it with clothes that she felt she would need for Germany. Jeans, long sleeved tops, her winter training outfit, jumpers, tracksuit pants…Sam paused as she came to her skirts and dresses. Always the little tomboy, she detested having to wear them and kept them only for the most important occasions. Sam fingered one of the dresses gently. The chances of them doing anything remotely formal was very rare, but Sam decided it'd be better to be safe then sorry.

She flipped through the dresses and finally pulled out a couple as well as a few skirts and placed them at the very bottom of the suitcase. She then added the other general requirements, before heading over to the drawers. She then began pulling out C.D's, books, jewellery, and other bits and pieces and shoved them into an overnight bag that matched the style of the suitcase. Lastly, she packed her bathroom bag. Once she was sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she placed them all at the foot of her bed and headed downstairs. "Maybe Max would be up for another game of cards," she mumbled to herself.

However, once she reached the base of the stairs, she found the living room empty. She checked the kitchen and the rest of downstairs, but the boys were nowhere to be seen. Her grandfathers study door was closed so she didn't bother looking in there, knowing all to well that he did not wish to be disturb when the doors were shut. Just as she was about to give up, she heard a shout from somewhere outside. Running out into the yard, she looked around and saw some movement coming from the far back, where she kept her blading dish.

Breaking into a run, she made her way over to the dish and stopped. Tyson and Ray were locked in a battle, Kenny was typing away at his laptop and Max was commentating. Kai was standing a few feet in front of her, his back turned to her, observing the battle that was taking place. Sam glared at his back as she approached. "What's going on?" She asked, smiling as politely as she could. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her. Except for Kai, who didn't even bother to glance at her before answering. "We were having a _team_ practice session." Sam clenched her fists at his tone, trying to remain calm. "So why wasn't I told?" she asked, quite sure she already knew the answer. "As I said," Kai replied, still staring at the dish, "it's a _team_ practice." Sam growled.

"Firstly, whether you like it or not Kai, I am part of this team and secondly," she stepped in front of him so she was glaring into his eyes, "you should look at someone when you talk to them." Kai held her gaze for a moment.

Her deep blue eyes had turned dark, like the waves of the sea in the middle of a storm. It didn't take a genius to see she was angry. But Kai wasn't fazed by it. Smirking at her mockingly, he went to step past her, but Sam grabbed his arm. "Don't you walk away from me Kai!" she hissed, lightning flashing in her eyes, "I may be a girl, but I could still kick your ass." This got everybody's attention. No one had ever dared to talk to Kai like that, especially a girl. Kai obviously wasn't too impressed by it either.

Pulling his arm free, he turned to face her. "I seriously doubt that." He growled, "after all, you're a girl and all girls are pathetic, sentimental and wea-" his words were cut short by Sam's fist connecting with his jaw. The surprise, as well as the force of the blow, caught Kai of guard and he fell backwards onto his butt, his lip bleeding slightly. "I am NOT weak Kai!" she spat angrily, her eyes almost black with rage. Kai gingerly touched his jaw, and looked at the blood on his fingers. He had never had a girl punch him before.

He glanced up at Sam, his eyes glaring daggers at her. He couldn't match the anger in her eyes though. He noticed her hands were still clenched, the knuckles red. He wondered if it had hurt her at all. He looked back at her eyes, and noticed tears forming. He wondered if they were of pain, anger or actual sadness.

All the boys had gone silent, nobody knowing what to say or do. Sam didn't stick around. She knew she was about to cry, and that was the last thing she wanted them to see. Turning her back on Kai, she broke into a run, knowing exactly where she was heading. Kai watched her leave, unable to help noticing a silver aurora coming from her belt.

Once she was gone, Max was the first to move, walking over to Kai, he glanced down at him, before following after Sam. He knew he probably should have stayed and helped but he couldn't pretend that he was more worried in Kai then he was about Sam. He wasn't exactly sure where she had gone, but he decided to try the oak. That seemed to be her favourite quite place.

While he was gone, Kai had pulled himself to his feet, and was looking over at the rest of his team. "Did I tell you to stop blading?" he demanded. Ray and Tyson got the hint and reloaded their blades into their launches. As he watched, Kai's hand kept straying to his lip. That girl had spunk, and he found it strangely attractive. He shook his head and went back to watching the battle. They'd be heading to Germany tomorrow, and they had a lot of practice to do. He wanted his team to be the best and their new team mate better be up to it!

Max reached the large oak and looked around. Sam was nowhere in sight and he wondered if she had headed back into the house. He was about to turn and look when he heard a noise from above him. Looking up, he could just make out a shoe way up in the tree. "Sam?" he called up. The foot moved out of sight and he waited for an answer. When none came he decided to have another try. "It's Max, are you ok?" At the mention of his name, he heard the branches rustling and Sam's head appear through the leaves. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Max." Her eyes were slightly red but she managed to smile.

Max smiled back. "Then why don't we go inside and prepare dinner, the boys will be getting hungry soon." Sam seemed to think about this and a moment later, her head disappeared back into the branches. Max wondered if that was a yes or a no, but a second later, Sam was climbing her way back down the trunk, landing on her feet in front of him. Max smiled. She moved like a cat. Taking her hand in his, they headed towards the house. Both talking excitedly about the up coming trip.

Half an hour later, the rest of the team arrived. Kai's lip was no longer bleeding, but a bruise was starting to form. He didn't say anything to Sam, but took his bowl of sweet and sour beef from the table and headed into the living room. The rest of the boys sat at the table with Max and Sam, enjoying the meal and talking about the championships. No one mentioned the fight that had just occurred and an hour later, they were climbing into bed, all of them exhausted. Tomorrow they'd be off to Germany and Sam for one couldn't wait!


	12. At The Airport

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 12 – At the airport!**

Sam was up and dressed before six, and wasted no time in grabbing her blade and heading outside to practice. She was dressed in a comfortable pair of white shorts and a black, short-sleeve shirt. She left her hair out this morning, but gave it a quick brush before heading outside. As far as she could tell the boys were all asleep, so she tried to be as quite as possible in leaving the house. Once she was outside, she ran past the oak, kissing the engravement, and heading for her dish.

After a quick warm-up she started blading, keeping her mind blank as she tried to get Drazema to pull of some tricky manoeuvres. The first was spinning along the very top of the dish, without slowing down or falling off. This took almost 40 minutes to complete, but Sam felt quite pleased with herself at being able to accomplish that much, at least until she heard a particular voice from behind her.

"You always get up this early for training?" Sam muttered some unrepeatable words under her breath as she looked over her shoulder to see Kai standing behind her, watching her. Sam shrugged, determined to at least be civil to him. "Most days. Sometimes I get up earlier. Why?" Kai just stared at her for a moment before walking over to the dish. "I'm impressed, that's all. I didn't know you were a serious blader." Sam just smiled. "There's a lot you don't know about me Kai." Kai raised an eyebrow questioningly but Sam ignored him, and went back to her blade, which was still spinning around the thin rim of the dish at a high speed. Kai watched it for a moment before turning and heading back to the house. Sam watched him leave, wondering why he had bothered coming out at all. He hadn't said anything in particular to her or anything. Feeling her confusion, Drazema started to glow and Sam quickly recalled her. Her beyblades reactions to her emotions were strangely comforting but not something she wanted anyone discovering. Especially Kai. With this thought in mind, she headed back to the house, her thoughts quickly hanging to the championships that were rapidly approaching.

By the time she reached the house, Kai had awakened all the boys, Tyson's hair being strangely wet. Sam nodded good morning to them all before heading upstairs and grabbing her bags. She slung the overnight bag over her shoulder and carried the bathroom bag in one hand and the suitcase in the other. Walking over to the stairs, she slid down the rail and continued to carry the bags over to the front door. Max offered to help, but Sam just smiled and shook her head. "Thanks but I've got it." She placed them down at the front door with a 'thud' and smiled at the boys. "Now, what do we all feel like for breakfast?" Tyson instantly pitched in a few ideas but in the end, they all just agreed with something on toast as they had to be at the airport in a few minutes. Tyson grumble about this for a while, having had his heart set on waffles with ice cream and maple syrup, but quickly cheered up when talk changed to the Germany Championships.

Half an hour later, they were all climbing into Sam's grandfather's car and heading for the airport. Once they got there, her grandfather kissed her goodbye. "See you in a few months, my dearest," he whispered into her ear as he held her close. "Do take care of yourself."

"I will grandpa. Take care yourself ok?" Her grandfather chuckled, "I'll try my best. But it will be hard without you." Sam smiled at him warmly. He was the last of her kin and she loved him dearly. She was really going to miss him these next few months. Kai's voice, demanding that they leave now, broke the happy moment. Sam growled and rolled her eyes as her grandfather laughed. "Best do as the young man say, hey Sam?" Sam just narrowed her eyes, as she swung her bag onto her shoulder and headed towards the boys.

Kai strode ahead of the others, while the boys turned and waved to Sam's grandfather. "Good-bye Mr. Coredori! Thanks for everything!" Sam's grandfather waved them off and climbed into his car. Sam's stomach tightened as she realised she was going to miss him more then she had thought. Still, she couldn't wait to get to Germany and get back to beyblading. She had missed that more then anything in the world.

As they wondered towards Gate 16, where their plane was waiting, they kept their eyes opened for Mr. Dickenson, only to find out that he was already waiting for them at their gate. He was busy reading the paper when Sam and the boys approached. The moment he realised they were there, he folded the paper and smiled warmly at them. "Glad you guys all got here ok and on time too." He looked at Tyson when he said this last part, who smiled timidly. "I was just reading about the weather in Germany," he continued, "at the moment it's quite warm at 15 degrees." They all stared at him. That was warm!!!! Sam smiled. She preferred the cold to the heat. Tyson on the other hand looked like he was about to have a heart attack. "15! Please tell me your kidding!" Mr. Dickenson only smiled and shook his head.

Tyson would have gone on complaining except for at that moment, the intercom sounded. "Attention passengers leaving from Hong Kong to Germany on flight HKG 764 at 0840. We regret to inform you that there will be a half hour delay on your flight. We apologize for the inconvenience." The bladebreakers groaned at this announcement, except for Sam and Kai who just rolled their eyes at the delay and sat down. The rest of the boys found various seats, Tyson heading straight over to the vending machine and purchasing three bags of mm's and a bag of chips, before sitting down beside Max.

Forty minutes later they were still waiting for their flight, which had been re-announced as being delayed for a further thirty minutes, followed by another apology for the inconvenience. Mr. Dickenson had gone to find out the problem and Tyson had gone to get something to eat and drink from the small café. Max and Ray had gone to look at the arcade and Kenny was absorbed in his computer. Sam, who had by this time consumed a large bottle of water and a 600ml diet coke, was now feeling the impact of this. Scanning around the airport, she spotted the ladies toilets across the room and quickly excused herself, saying she'd be back in a few minutes.

Kai watched her go, acknowledging her statement briefly before going back to staring out at the airport, enjoying the peacefulness. This was soon shattered by the sound of a mobile ringing from Sam handbag, which was on the seat beside him. Kai glanced down at it in disgust, wishing it would shut up, and going by the glances of those around him, he wasn't the only one. After a minute however, Kai realised someone was going to have to answer it. Kenny was so absorbed in his laptop, he didn't even appear to notice it and seeing as Kai was the closest one, he decided it would have to be him.

Opening Sam's handbag, he pulled out a small dark purple phone, with black leopards painted on the side and silver wings on the back. The screen was lit up and so Kai pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he demanded.

"Samantha Coredori?" a voice asked.

"She's not here," Kai snapped. The voice was silent for a few moments. "Who's speaking?" the voice inquired. "I could ask the same question," Kai replied, unable to help thinking he knew the voice. There was another moment of silence. Kai thought he could hear muffled voices talking in the distance. "Hello," said a voice slightly different from the first. "Look, this is of great importance is Samantha there please?" Kai growled.

"No she is NOT here! If this is so important, give me your name, number and your message and I'll have her call you back." Kai felt like a blooming secretary. The person on the other end chuckled. "Ah, never mind then, I'll call her back later. Nice talking to you…Kai." The phone clicked as the mysterious caller hung up and Kai stared at the phone. He slowly placed the phone back in Sam's handbag, and went staring out the window, trying to think of how he knew the voice.

Sam returned a few minutes later, followed shortly by the rest of the team. They all sat around bored and impatient. Mr. Dickenson returned ten minutes later, sat down beside Kenny and started reading the newspaper. They sat in silence for a further fifteen minutes before the intercom buzzed and a man's voice came on the line. "Attention passengers leaving from Hong Kong to Germany on flight HKG 764. We thank you for your patience and apologize for the wait. We are happy to announce your flight is now ready for boarding. We wish you a safe flight and hope you enjoy the rest of your day."

Everyone sighed with relief before rising to their feet, stretching and heading over to the stewardess who was checking tickets. They were then directed onto the plane and took their seats. Mr. Dickenson ended up beside Kenny, who immediately buckled his seatbelt, took out his laptop and continued typing. Ray was beside Max, much to his relief. Tyson was in a seat beside a man in a very expensive looking business suit, which left Sam and Kai together in the row in front of Max and Ray. Sam rolled her eyes in annoyance as she took her seat by the window, whilst Kai had the aisle seat. He didn't appear too fazed by the seating arrangement, and, after buckling his seatbelt, closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. Sam glared at him before turning her gaze out the window.

Kai wasn't too worried about not being able to see out the window. This would not be the first time he had been to Germany. In fact he had lived there for a few years, at his Grandfathers training facility. So this trip was nothing new to him. Kai stifled a yawn as he lent back in his chair.

Fifteen minutes later they were in the air and heading for Germany. Sam's attitude quickly changed to one of excitement. Unlike Kai, she had never been to Germany and her excitement only grew as she realised she would soon be competing again, even if it was with Kai!


	13. Germany

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 13 – Germany!**

Half an hour into the trip and Kai was still trying to figure out who had called Sam. He had decided it had to be someone he knew well, which meant his grandfather must be involved, whether Max saw him at the airport or not. 'But why would they be interested in Sam?' Kai thought to himself. He opened his eyes and glanced at the teen beside him. She was staring out the window as she had been as soon as they boarded the plane. She hadn't bothered to say anything to him since they boarded, nor looked as though she was going to.

Suddenly feeling his eyes on her, Sam turned and met his gaze. Noticing him staring she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Take a photo, it'll last longer!" she hissed before turning back to the window. Kai growled. 'Seriously! Why would _anybody_ be interested in her!' But despite his dislike of her, he couldn't bring himself to shake off the feelings of uneasiness inside of him. Kai groaned and closed his eyes. This was going to be a _long_ and _boring _flight.

As it turned out, Kai found the flight not so uninteresting. Fifteen minutes after his little encounter with Sam, he felt a tap on his shoulder and cracked open his eye to see Sam staring at him. Kai closed his eye again. This only resulted in Sam sighing in frustration and a sharp jab in the ribs. Kai just smiled smugly. He heard Sam moving beside him and then felt a sharp, painful blow in the shins. He opened his eyes and glared at Sam as he rubbed his shin. Sam only smiled sweetly at him. "What?" Kai asked through gritted teeth. Sam's smile widened as she pointed behind him.

Kai turned and saw a stewardess standing beside him, a small smile on her lips. "Good morning sir," she said politely, "I was just serving the beverages. Would you care for a refreshment…and some ice?" She looked down at his shin when she said this and Kai growled at Sam. "Just a tea, thanks." He replied through gritted teeth. "White an-"

"White and one, yes I know," interrupted the stewardess politely, "your friend already informed me." The stewardess smiled at Sam, while Kai just glared at her. "And for you ma'am?" Sam smiled back, more at Kai then at the stewardess. "Just a diet coke thanks."

The stewardess got their refreshments from the serving trolley beside her as Kai and Sam lowered their trays. Once she had gone Kai glared at Sam, who was still smiling as she sipped her diet coke. "You think that was funny don't you?" he demanded. Sam shook her head and lowered her drink. "No," she replied, "I think that was hilarious." A small giggle came from behind them and Sam glanced over her shoulder to see Max's hand covering his mouth. In one swift movement, Sam grabbed her coke in one hand, swung around on her knees to face Max and gave him a high-five with her free hand. Kai just rolled his eyes at her childishness as he sipped his tea and waited for her to turn back around. But she didn't. Instead, she sat on her legs and chatted away to Max and Ray. Kai was silently thankful for this and he finished drinking his tea in peace.

Once he had finished his tea, Kai closed his eyes again and droned out Sam's voice as he tried to sleep. He didn't get very far before Sam tapped him on his shoulder. Remembering what happened the last time he ignored her, Kai opened his eyes and glared at her. "What?"

"Can you ask the stewardess for a refill," she replied shaking her empty can in front of him. Kai rolled his eyes and pressed the button above him to call over the stewardess. She came immediately. "Yes sir? Another tea?" Kai shook his head.

"No, just another Diet Coke please."

"Better make it two," Sam suddenly added, "save you coming back later." The stewardess smiled and went to grab Sam's refreshments.

Kai looked at Sam. "What is it with you and diet coke?" Sam shrugged.

"I like coke."

"So why have diet?"

"Do you really want to see me on sugar?" Kai thought about this then shook his head. "Definitely not." The stewardess returned and Sam took her refreshments from her. "Then stop complaining." She put one of her drinks on her seat beside her before turning her attention back to the window. Kai sighed and closed his eyes again, maybe now he could get some sleep.

Kai awoke to feel a firm poke in his shoulder. Moaning to himself, he opened his eyes to find a familiar pair of blue eyes staring at him. Kai groaned. "A_nother _diet coke?" Sam shook her head.

"No. I need you to move your legs." Kai glanced down at his legs, which were spread out in front of him, reaching to the next seat. "Why?"

Sam bit her lip. "Cause I need to get out." Kai smirked. "Why?" Sam narrowed her eyes.

"Because I have to, that's why!" Kai cocked his head to one side. "I don't see why you would possibly need to move from your seat."

"What are you? My parent? Don't answer that. Just move your damn feet, or I'll give you another bruised shin!" Kai held her gaze for a moment before moving his feet. Sam, who was by now, definitely feeling the effects of those diet cokes, half walked, half ran to the toilet cubicles. Kai glanced at his watch and realised he had been asleep for almost two hours. Which meant they'd be serving lunch soon.

Due to the delay, they were now due to land in Germany at 0800 tomorrow. Which meant they would be sleeping on the plane. Kai was silently thankful he wasn't sitting next to Tyson and only hoped Sam didn't snore either. Kai took a moment to glance behind him at the rest of his team. Max and Ray were talking quietly. Mr. Dickenson and Kenny were looking up information on the upcoming competition they would be facing at the championships. Then there was Tyson, who was sleeping…as usual. His head was resting against the mans arm, much to his annoyance, yet he couldn't seem to wake Tyson up to move his arm.

Sam walking down the aisle suddenly caught Kai's attention. She paused beside Tyson's seat and Kai swiveled around a little more to get a better view at what she was doing. As he watched, Sam smiled apologetically at the businessman who rolled his eyes in frustration. Sam knelt down and grabbed the two ends of Tyson's seatbelt. She then buckled it together and pulled tight, very tight. Tyson sat up with a start, gasping for breath. Sam laughed softly and the businessman nodded his appreciation, quickly removing his arm. Tyson managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and was now glaring at Sam.

Sam ruffled his hair and stood up. Walking one row up, she was stopped by Kenny, who fidgeted nervously as he mumbled some words to her, which Kai was unable to hear. Sam reached into her pockets and took out her blade. She looked at it unsurely before shrugging and handing it to Kenny. Kai stored a couple of questions in his mind to ask Kenny later on as Sam headed towards him. Behind her the stewardess was moving slowly up the aisle handing out meals. Sam brushed past him and sat down but not before casting an anxious look at Kenny who was typing away at his laptop furiously. Kai couldn't help wondering what it was she was afraid Kenny was going to find out.

Before he could ponder it any further, the stewardess was beside him asking what he would like for lunch. "Will that be salad or sandwiches?" Kai cast a glance over the food before choosing the chicken sandwiches. "Make mine a chicken salad and a diet coke please," Sam suddenly called from behind him. Kai glanced at her in surprise, still unable to believe her craving for diet coke. Sam just smiled at him and took her plate from the stewardess in one hand as she lowered her tray with the other. Kai lowered his tray first before taking his meal and the diet coke from the stewardess, who then moved on to the next row. He handed the coke to Sam, who smiled gratefully at him before taking a sip of her drink and digging into her meal.

Once again Kai noticed she picked out the small rings of onions that were throughout the salad. "Why do you do that?" He demanded, as she picked out yet another piece of onion. Sam looked up at him in surprise then noticed him looking at the onions she had removed from her meal. "Oh! I don't like onions." She replied simply. Kai raised one eyebrow at her. "What's it to you, anyway?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. Kai rolled his eyes. "It's annoying!" He said grumpily. Sam stuck her tongue out at him nastily. "Then don't watch!" With that she went back to her meal and Kai back to his.

Sam ate her meal slowly, removing even the smallest piece of onion from her meal and thirty minutes later the meals were cleared away. Once hers was taken Sam reached into her small overnight bag, which she had brought on the plane with her and pulled out her walkman. Placing the headphones in her ears, she pressed play, leant against the chair and closed her eyes. Kai watched her for a moment, but she remained completely still, her face passive. Kai smiled slightly as he too closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift.

Kai awoke a few hours later. Sam's eyes were still closed and outside it was growing dark. He saw a stewardess handing out meals and looking at his watch he realised he had been asleep for five hours!! Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at Sam and wondered if he should wake her. The stewardess was serving Max and Ray so he gently tapped Sam on her arm. She didn't move. He poked her a little harder, she opened her eyes and jumped in surprise. Looking around she seemed unsure of where she was. Her gaze landed on him and she visibly relaxed.

The stewardess was now looking at them for their meal choice. The choices were: roast chicken and vegetables, crumbed fish and vegetables or roast beef and vegetables. Kai took the fish while Sam had the chicken, but didn't order a diet coke, only water. Kai passed her meal up to her and started on his own. Glancing over at Sam, he couldn't help but notice the elegant way in which she at her meal. "You go to boarding school or something?" Sam blinked and glanced up at him. Her eyes clouded as she answered. "Yeah, something like that," she said in a flat voice, before going back to her meal. Then as an after thought added. "Is there anything else you'd like to know about my eating habits?" Kai ignored her comment but didn't ask her any more questions, but finished off his meal.

The meals were taken away thirty minutes later and Kai could see that the world outside had turned dark. He watched Max tap Sam on the shoulder and handed her back her blade. Sam smiled gratefully, taking the blade from him and running her thumb over it, before tucking it into her pocket. She then lent back against her seat and went back to her passive state, her eyes closed. Kai couldn't tell if she was asleep or not. The cabin lights around him dimmed slightly, as other passengers started to doze. Leaning back against his chair, he closed his eyes and felt himself dozing off into a deep sleep, knowing they were going to have a lot of practice to do once they reached Germany.

Kai awoke to the feeling of the sun on his face. Cracking an eye open he saw that the world had once again grown bright. Feeling a weight on his arm, he looked down and saw Sam was still asleep, her head resting against his arm. She had a blanket thrown over her, as did Kai, thanks to the stewardess. Kai rolled his eyes in annoyance, seriously considering waking her up. Before he could finish deciding though, Sam stirred and sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching like a cat. Her attention immediately went outside as she stared out the window. Kai looked at his watch and realised it was 0746, meaning they'd be landing very soon.

As if to echo his thoughts, the captain's voice suddenly crackled over the loud speaker. "Attention passengers. We apologize for interrupting your sleep, but we will be landing at Dusseldorf Airport shortly. We ask that you put your trays into the upright position and buckle your seatbelts in preparation for landing. Thank-you." Kai obediently buckled his seatbelt, noticing the stewardess walking down the rows and awakening the passengers.

As they began their descent Sam couldn't believe it. They had finally reached Germany. Soon, Sam would be competing again. Smiling happily, she watched the land come slowly up to meet them bring her closer to Germany and the championships!


	14. Surprise In Germany

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 14 – Surprise in Germany!**

The moment the plane landed, Sam was unbuckling her seatbelt and getting to her feet. Kai, much to Sam's annoyance, took his time in doing so. He could hear Sam urging him to hurry up under her breath but deliberately ignored her. Rising to his feet, he looked over at the rest of his team to see Mr. Dickenson, Kenny, Max and Ray and saw that they too were out of their seats and eager to get going.

Tyson on the other hand was still sound asleep. Kai sighed in annoyance and quickly walked over to him. Murmuring his apologies to the man beside Tyson, he drew back his leg and kicked Tyson hard in the shin. This had its desired effect and Tyson immediately awoke and followed the rest of his team towards the plane's exit.

As soon as they reached the front door however, the coldness of the outside hit them and Tyson turned back towards the warmth of the inside of the cabin. "Well have fun guys," he called over his shoulder, heading back towards his seat. Kai rolled his eyes as he grabbed the back of Tyson's shirt and dragged him out the door.

Tyson soon got the hint and wrapped his arms around his freezing body as he followed his team inside the airport. To his relief the inside of the airport was comfortable warm compared to the icy coldness outside. Tyson instantly opened his arms as if to 'hug' the heat. Sam laughed at his actions as she led the way through the crowded airport towards the luggage claim. Kai followed close behind her, keeping the distance between him and Tyson as far as possible.

Somewhere along the way Mr. Dickenson disappeared, saying he'd meet them outside. As they reached the luggage claim area they were surprised to see hundreds of people, gathered into groups, clustered around the small area. "There weren't this many people on the plane," Kenny exclaimed, looking around at the groups. As they passed each group, Sam became aware of the fact that almost everyone was speaking a different language. "Who are all these people?" Sam asked, not really expecting anyone to answer. To her surprise, Kai did.

"Well, they're definitely not Germans."

"Probably my adoring fans!" Tyson cried, smiling at one group after the other. "You wish Tyson," Kenny relied, laughing gently. Tyson just glared at him as he continued walking.

Upon passing one group, Ray was sure he heard one of the teens mention the word "Beyblade" amongst the conversation. "They must be here for the championships!" he explained to the others. Everyone, but Kai, stared at the huge crowds around them and noticed some of the people wearing beyblading equipment. "Awesome!" Tyson yelled, causing some of the groups to look towards him. Kai grabbed his arm and hauled him towards were their luggage was. "Come on," he grumbled. To his relief the others obeyed, and they soon reached the turntable, where they were to collect their bags.

After ten minutes of waiting, their bags finally arrived. As the Bladebreakers headed away from the baggage claim and made their way through the crowds, Sam felt something collide into her, causing her to stumble backwards. Straightening herself up, she turned her gaze angrily towards the source of the collision.

To her surprise there was a young girl, about two years younger then herself, standing before her, rubbing her head. "I am so sorry," the girl mumbled, unable to meet Sam's eyes. She had dark hair, much like Sam's, tied back in a high ponytail. She wore a pair of faded jeans and a light pink shirt that was slightly too big for her, with two kittens on it. Sam softened her glare and smiled at the girl. "Don't worry about it," she said, "no real harm do-" she stopped half way through the sentence as the girl looked up at her for the first time. Time seem to stop as the both just stared at each other. 'Those soft brown eyes,' Sam thought, 'so familiar. It couldn't be…'

Suddenly a voice from the crowd cleared all of Sam's doubts. "Garnet!" a male voice called, "where have you gone now!" Sam's smile widened. "Garnet?" The girl blinked as if trying to place her then began to smile. "Sam? Sam is it really you?!" Sam nodded and dropped her bags as the girl let out a squeal of delight and jumped into Sam's waiting arms. "I've missed you so much!" she mumbled into Sam's shoulder.

Sam held her close, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. All of this happened under the confused expressions of the rest of the Bladebreakers, who both girls had forgotten were even there. "Garnet! There you are!" a females voice called, breaking the moment. "Jazon is going to be furious." Then looking over her shoulder she raised her hand and shouted, "Oi! I've found her!" Running feet sounded a few moments later, and three more teens arrived on the scene. Garnet let go of Sam and walked over to the first girl who had spoken. "Sorry Adonia," she mumbled.

The girl addressed as Adonia looked to be the same age as Sam and had light orange hair, cut short and amber coloured eyes. She was wearing a red mini dress over white leggings and a white and orange belt around the middle and three-inch high red boots. The other three teens – one girl and two boys – were all around the same age as Adonia. The girl was dressed in a black mini skirt and white blouse with white socks reaching almost to her knees and black slip on shoes. She had burgundy coloured hair and eyes. The two boys were both in black pants, but one had on a brown collared shirt, while the other wore a dark green shirt with short sleeves. The one in the green shirt had spiky, sandy coloured hair and golden coloured eyes. The other, who appeared to be slightly older, had black hair, half tied back into a ponytail and the same coloured eyes. All of them stared at Sam and Garnet as though they couldn't believe their eyes.

After a few minutes of silence the boy in the brown shirt spoke. "Sam, fancy seeing you here. I thought you quit blading." He practically snarled as he said this, and Sam's fists clenched. "Well as usual your wrong, Jazon." She looked away from Jazon, to her team and smiled sardonically. "Bladebreakers, I'd like you to meet my old team the Carnivora Catz. This is Garnet, Adonia, Jazon, Bretz and Rayley." The latter she pointed to the boy and the girl who hadn't yet spoken. "And this is my new team the Bladebreakers." She didn't bother introducing them in person but turned back to Jazon, who was obviously the leader of the team.

Jazon's eye glanced uncaringly at the boys gathered around Sam before settling his eyes back on her and Garnet, who was still standing beside Sam, her hand linked in Sam's. "Garnet come!" he ordered. Garnet tightened her hand in Sam's as she glanced up at Sam but didn't move. "Garnet!" Jazon snarled, "I said come! We don't associate with traitors." Sam flinched as though she had been hit. Garnet instantly stood up for Sam. "Sam's not a traitor!" She yelled, tears rising to her eyes. Jazon narrowed his eyes and walked over to where Garnet stood. Raising his hand he went to strike her, but Sam quickly pushed Garnet behind her and took the blow across the cheek.

Jazon smiled nastily. "Still protecting that little brat!" he hissed. Sam met his gaze steadily. "Still unable to control that temper of yours?" she retorted. Jazon growled at her and went to hit her again when an arm gripped his, stopping him in his attempt. To everyone's shock it was Kai who held Jazon's arm at bay. Using little strength he pushed Jazon's arm back, causing the black-haired teen to take a step backwards.

Kai glared across at him. "Are you really so pathetic that you have to resort to hitting girls?" Jazon glared back at him. "Stay out of this! It is of no concern to you!" Kai took a menacing step for ward and Jazon reflexively took a step back. "If I see or hear of you striking a girl again I will personally make it my concern. Got it!" Jazon looked from Kai to Sam, who was staring at him with equal shock. Garnet peeked out from behind Sam and looked at Kai in awe. Kai noticed her out of the corner of his eyes. "Now that we are at an understanding, I have somewhere else to be." With that he pushed his way past Jazon and headed through the crowd towards the exit of the airport. It took a moment before anyone moved, but slowly the Bladebreakers followed after Kai, except Sam, who lingered for a moment with Garnet.

Turning her back on Jazon, she knelt before Garnet and looked her in the eye. "Has he hit you before?" she asked. Garnet looked at Jazon fearfully and quickly shook her head. Sam could tell by the look in her eyes that she was lying. Taking out a pad and pen she quickly wrote a number on it and handed it to her. "That's my mobile. If he _ever_ hits you again," she looked accusingly at Jazon, "call me and I'll be sure he is taught how it feels." Garnet nodded and stuffed the paper in her pants. Sam smiled at her and ruffled her hair, bringing a smile to the younger girls face. "I'll see you at the championships kiddo." Giving Garnet one last hug she rose to her feet and collected her bags.

As she walked past Jazon she paused and turned to him. "You might have gotten away with abusing me Jazon," she hissed so only he could hear her, "but if you harm Garnet again, you will be sorry!" With that she headed after her team, putting Jazon far out of her mind. Once she got outside she wrapped her arms around her and looked about for her team. This was a lot more difficult then she thought it would be due to the large amount of people gathered. She watched the steam appearing in front of her as she breathed and wondered where they could have gotten to.

"I take it, you two have a history together," a voice suddenly spoke out beside her causing Sam to jump slightly. Sam looked beside her to see Kai standing there, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Sam shrugged, "Not one I'd like to remember." She looked at him, her facer growing serious. "Thanks for your help back there." Kai shrugged and started walking towards the curb. Sam followed after him. "Is that the first time he's hit you?" Kai asked gruffly. Sam laughed harshly. "No…but I didn't realise he'd gone to hurting Garnet."

"What would it have changed?" Kai asked in a bored tone. Sam shrugged. "A lot. I wouldn't have left the team, that's for sure." Kai glanced over at her, but she was looking straight ahead, a determined look on her face. Kai started to wonder just what kind of a past she had. As far as he could tell, it was a pretty bleak life so far.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Tyson's voice calling out to him. "Hey guys! Come on! Mr. D's got us a taxi." Sam blinked and looked up to see a mini bus taxi pulling up to the curb and her team climbing in. She shook her head and smiled warmly at Tyson before breaking into a jog. Kai followed more leisurely, climbing into the taxi and sitting down beside Kenny and opposite Sam, who was already engrossed in a conversation with Max, smiling as though nothing had happened.

The driver appeared at the door and asked them where they were heading. Mr. Dickenson gave him the name of a hotel in Wuppertal and a moment later they pulled away from the curb and headed into the busy roads of Germany.


	15. Training And Tempers

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 15 - Training and Tempers!**

They reached their hotel twenty minutes later and quickly headed inside to escape the cold. Mr. Dickenson had managed to book three rooms side by side on the second floor, and going by the crowded lobby, it was just as well they had pre-booked. With the championships coming up, all the hotels in Germany were completely booked.

As they made their way to the elevators, Mr. Dickenson explained the arrangements. "Each room is a double, so there will be two team mates to a room." All eyes flickered towards Sam nervously. Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't worry, I don't have cooties or anything." Mr. Dickenson nodded his appreciation as he continued. "I will be staying at the BBA headquarters here in Germany. If you need me here's the number were you can reach me." He handed Kai a small card, which he placed in his pocket.

By now they had reached the elevator and were waiting for it to arrive. "As for the sleeping arrangements, I'll leave it to you guys to arrange that." Just then the elevator dinged announcing it's arrival and the doors slid open. "I had best take my leave now. Good luck with your training and I shall see you all at the championships." With that he headed out through the crowd, leaving the Bladebreakers, standing in the elevator and looking at each other, wondering which one would be sharing with Sam.

Sam smiled and reached into her pocket. Pulling out a coin, she looked at each boy in turn. "Heads or tails?" After a few flips the sleeping arrangements went like this: Max and Ray, Kenny and Tyson, and –yes, you guessed it – Sam and Kai. Upon this outcome Sam groaned loudly and headed towards her room. "Of all the rotten luck." The rest of the Bladebreakers smiled, except Kai, who was also thinking about his awful luck – but in his head!

Everyone went to their designated rooms, and to save time I shall briefly describe one of them as they all looked pretty much the same. The rooms were more like miniature apartments: a kitchen/dining room was in the very center, with the lounge/ entertainment room to the left and to the right two _separate_ bedrooms side by side and a bathroom opposite them. Sam claimed the first room and went straight in to unpack. There was a double bed (have I mentioned that this is a very expensive and posh hotel?!), walk in robe, two chests of drawers and a small cable TV in both rooms. There was also a window, which overlooked a small park.

Once Sam had finished unpacking she went and explored the rest of the room. It was really quite large. The bathroom held a shower, bath/spa and vanity. The toilet was in a separate room beside the bathroom. The lounge/entertainment room had two sofas, which could fit two people comfortably, and an entertainment system including a large cable TV, a built in sound system and a DVD player. Sam whistled appreciatively and went into the kitchen. Kai stood there looking out the window at the park.

Unsure of what to say, Sam was relieved when a knock suddenly sounded at the front door. Walking over, she saw the rest of her team standing there. Tyson was the first to speak. "Did you know we get _free_ room service?" Sam smiled and shook her head, stepping aside and letting them all in. Kai by this time had stepped away from the window and was now looking at a small map of the hotel on the wall of the hotel. "There is a large training room at the bottom of the hotel, on the floor beneath the lobby. We will all meet there at 0600 tomorrow to start training." Tyson raised his hand. Kai glanced at him. "Just for those of us who don't speak G-I-JO…is that 6 o'clock…in the morning?" Kai smirked.

"Problem?" Tyson nearly fainted.

"But that's so early. No one will be awake then!"

Kai nodded. "Which means the training room will be empty, making it easier to train." Everyone else nodded at the logic, except Tyson who was groaning loudly to exclaim his protest. Sam smiled. These next few months were sure to be interesting…

Interesting – as Sam later discovered – wasn't the right word for it. Excruciatingly irritating would have been far closer to the truth. Kai was relentless in his training. Insisting on 6 o'clock starts everyday. Excluding weekends, when the training began at 8, to give then a chance to sleep in and relax for a few hours. Training would then run until 7p.m with a one-hour break at 12, when they got to have lunch.

Sam soon got used to blading with her new team. Drazema hadn't done anything strange during a battle since she had left Hong Kong, which she was silently grateful for. She also hadn't revealed Drazema to any of her team mates yet, or used any of her really powerful attacks. After all, where was the fun in ruining all the surprises?

Sam would have found this routine easy to stick too, if it wasn't for the nightmares, which woke her up continuously throughout the night, depriving her of much needed sleep. Ever since her run in with her old team, memories of her past had returned, memories, which she sincerely wished she could forget. However after a couple of days, she was beginning to feel the results of this lack of sleep, becoming very short in temper and extremely skittish.

Then the phone calls had started. One week after arriving and Sam started getting strange phone calls on her mobile. She would answer, but there was never an answer, just heavy breathing. As far as she knew, no one else knew about the calls. No one that is, except Kai. A couple of times, she had been in the shower when her mobile rang, and Kai would answer it. The person on the other end would laugh when Kai answered before hanging up making Kai more and more suspicious of who the caller was.

But it didn't just stop at phone calls. A couple of times, when they had been out shopping in Germany, Sam could have sworn they were being followed. Sometimes she saw a tinted black car creeping down the street or a person staring at her. But seeing as she was always with her team, they never made a move. She was sure however, that they were just waiting for a chance to get her alone…a chance she was not going to give them. The last thing she wanted was to be taken back to…that place.

All in all, the last few days were beginning to really take effect on Sam. It was on this one particular day however, that Sam really lost it. She and Kai were bickering as usual, and Sam's nerves were growing increasingly short. Finally Kai turned to face her. "You are so immature!" he said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. It was three weeks since they had arrived and they had just reached the training room. Today, being Saturday, meant there were quite a few teams practicing, but they still managed to find a spare training dish.

But training was the last thing on Sam's mind. "Oh yeah!" she replied, "Well at least I don't wear face paint like some three year old!" Kai glared at her. "I don't have time to continue this stupid argument. I have more important things to do."

"Like what?" Sam demanded.

"Like training." Sam pulled out her blade.

"Great," she replied, "how about we kill two birds with one stone and settle this in the dish?" Kai narrowed his eyes. "Your funeral." Sam smiled.

"Glad to see I'm starting to rub off on you. Ready? 3…2…1…LET IT RIP!!!!"

Both blades hit the dish simultaneously and began circling the dish at high speeds. Sam decided she'd make the first move and immediately charged for Kai's blade. The collision had little effect however and her blade rebounded off his easily. "Again, Drazema!" Drazema obeyed but still this had little effect on Kai's blade. Kai had his eyes closed and arms folded, keeping his face passive. After several more attempts, Kai decided he had had enough.

Without even opening his eyes he commanded his blade. "Dranzer! Attack now!" Dranzer obeyed and headed for Sam's blade. Colliding with it, Sam's blade was sent spinning towards the opposite side of the dish. As it made it's way up the rim, Sam intervened. "Drazema! Left twist and use Black Inferno!" To Sam's amusement, Kai opened his eyes and stared down at the dish, with a slight hint of interest in his eyes.

Sam glanced behind her, her eye's locking with Kenny. "You ready? Cause this is going to be over quick!" Kenny nodded and began typing furiously away on his laptop. Dizzi's voice could be heard begging him to ease up before she blew a circuit. Meanwhile Sam blade, Drazema, was whizzing in a zigzag motion across one half of the dish at such amazing speed that Kai was barely able to see it. Kai was a little surprised that it had such agility and yet could remain in such control. He drew his mind back to the battle at hand and watched as Sam's blade continued to move across the dish.

He soon noticed black flames rising from the dish. As they grew in intensity Sam's voice seemed to rise with them. "Ok Draz, time to come out and play!" On her words, there was a loud howl and a blinding silver light shot from the blade, followed a second later by Drazema. Everyone stared in shock at the sight of Sam's bitbeast. The black panther looked magnificent and powerful, with the silver eagle wings protruding from its shoulders and its sapphire blue eyes that instantly focused on Kai's blade. Kai kept his face emotionless as Drazema suddenly started spinning in the middle of the dish, drawing the flames toward her until they formed a large pillar around her. Then she shot towards Kai's blade and collided with it, sending it out of the dish.

Grabbing his blade from mid air he let out a gasp of shock. His blade was burning hot!!! Sam smiled as she recalled her own blade, seemingly unaffected by the heat of her own blade. "Just thought I'd heat things up a bit," she taunted, "you're not afraid of a little fire are you?" With these words she simply reloaded her launcher and aimed it back at the dish. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!!!!" This time Kai's blade hit first and he wasted no time in taking the first attack.

"Dranzer, get her now. Use fire spin!" Sam smiled. Some things never changed. She watched as Kai's blade came rapidly towards hers and collided. Her blade instantly was thrown out of the dish. "You still got beaten by that attack," Kai gloated, but Sam only smiled.

"Just wanted to make this victory more momentous!" she replied, getting ready to launch her blade. Kai cocked an eyebrow as he once again fired his blade into the dish. "Dranzer! Let's make this quick and painless. Get her now!" Dranzer instantly rammed into Sam's blade, sending her spinning towards the edge of the dish. Sam smiled. This was just what she wanted.

"Drazema, back spin!" Sam yelled as her blade hurtled towards the edge. Drazema immediately obeyed, spinning backwards and full speed and loosing momentum on the rise of the dish. "Come on…come on." Sam murmured under her breath as her blade continued to speed up the side of the dish. "Ok! Drazema now forwards spin and hard right! Let's show them what we can do!" Drazema obeyed, allowing her speed to pick up as she spun up to the edge of the dish and started circling the top rim.

By this time a crowd had gathered around them and they yelled words of surprise and awe. Sam blocked these from her mind. "Come on Drazema, let's give these people reason to cheer!" Drazema instantly flew down the center and flew past Kai's blade, missing it by mere millimetres. Kai smirked. "Obviously you can't control your blade at high speeds!" he gloated, looking up at Sam. Sam just smiled venomously at him. "Obviously, you can't control your ego!" Kai looked back down in time to see Drazema fly off the edge of the dish and come hurtling back down, doubling her momentum and she hit the dish and flew towards his blade.

With this added momentum her blade also gained more strength and the collision caused Kai's blade to fly from the dish and into Sam's hand, before she recalled her own. "And to think I didn't even need to use any special attack to beat you this time." She teased, tossing Kai back his blade as the crowds around her cheered and headed back to their own dishes. Kai looked down at his blade and back up at Sam who had moved off to practice somewhere else.

She stopped at the other side of the training arena where Max was practicing. Some cones had been placed in a zigzag pattern over a dirt floor. The idea of the training is to get your blade to go through the pattern without knocking over any cones, before returning again. This is no uneasy task for any real professional, but what makes it really tricky is the dirt surface on which the cones were placed. This surface was designed to be unstable, making control of the blade all the more difficult.

Max smiled when he saw Sam approach, before firing his blade. It hit the dirt and sped towards the first cone. It passed it easily enough, then round the second. By the third it had gained a lot more speed and skidded a little around the fourth cone before running directly into the fifth cone, toppling it over and coming to a stop. Max recalled his blade and stepped back to allow Sam a go. Sam smiled and fired her blade. Like Max her blade took the first two without any difficulty. But unlike Max, she managed to control her blade for the entire track, and it returned to her easily. Max and her laughed at some shared joke before she went on to coach Max with his blading.

Kai was impressed that Sam seemed to be able to handle it so easily and at great speed too. Mr. Dickenson had been right when he said that Sam was no amateur. Kai shook his head and went back to his own training. On their first night in Germany Kai had asked Kenny what he had found out about Sam and her blade while on the plane but Kenny just shook his head. "Nothing," he had replied. Kai had been a little shocked. But Kenny simply explained that there was absolutely nothing on record about Sam or her blade, except for a few papers about the Carnivora Catz where her name had been listed as being one of the team members. This only made Kai more curious. There was definitely a lot he had yet to learn about this mysterious new blader, and the sooner the better.


	16. On The Run

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 16 – On The Run!**

"So where did you learn to blade like that?" Max asked as he took another slice of pizza, watching the cheese stretch as he pulled it up. It was eight o'clock at night and Max and Sam were alone in Max's room, sitting on the floor and sharing a pizza after their hard day of practice. Ray had gone to get a movie with Tyson and Kenny, whilst Kai…well, no one really knew where Kai had gone.

Sam now was looking at Max as if trying to decide what she was going to say. "You really want to know?" she asked. Max nodded eagerly, leaning forward a little. "If you don't mind telling me," he replied cheerfully. Sam sighed. "I guess you would have found out sooner or later." She smiled warmly at him. "Besides, I think you've earned my trust." Max smiled happily and took another bite of his pizza.

Sam leant her back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "When my parents died in a car accident, I went to live with my grandfather," she said after a while, "I was only three at the time. I had been in the car too but my mother had saved my by leaning over me when the cars hit. That way the flying glass got her, and not me. If it hadn't been for her I would have died too. Sometimes I wish I had but…" she paused and smiled sheepishly at Max, "but that's probably more then you needed to know. Anyway, my grandfather taught me to blade when I was five, to help me relent my emotions into that. I soon learnt that it was my emotions that controlled my blade and when I turned six, a man came to our house and saw me blading. He asked me if I'd like to go with him and learn to blade professionally. My grandfather told me this man was the best blader around and could teach me more then I would ever learn from him, so I agreed. I was taken to a training facility and taught to blade. It was a lot of hard work…more then I think was necessary. But here I am, the top female blader in Hong Kong."

Sam took a bite of he pizza and looked at Max who tilted his head to one side. "What training facility was it?" he asked. Sam swallowed her pizza and looked at the ground. This was one question she didn't want to have to answer. Still, she had taken Max into her confidence and she wasn't going to stop now. "It was a long time ago," she murmured, "you've probably never heard of it before." Sam paused, realising she was beating around the bush. Taking a deep breath she concluded: "I think it was called Bivolt."

Max looked up at her in surprise. "You mean Voltaire's training facility!?" Sam winced at the mention of Voltaire's name. "You know Voltaire?" she asked, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice. Max nodded. "Of course. He's Kai's Grandfather."

"He is?!" Sam yelled in shock, before regaining her composure. "You ok?" Max asked worriedly, surprised by her reaction. Sam nodded. "Yeah," she said shakily, rising from the floor, "but you know what Max, it's getting late and I'm really tired. So I'm just going to go to bed. See ya." With that she walked quickly out of the room, Max's eyes following her out.

Meanwhile a thousand thoughts were running through Sam's head. 'Voltaire's Kai's Grandfather!!! I can't believe it! But of course. No wonder Kai dislikes me so much! He was probably sent by his Grandfather to watch me. Maybe even take me back to Bivolt if he can. Well I'm not going to give him the chance!' With this thought in mind, Sam ran into her room, grabbed her jumper and pulled on her joggers. She then grabbed her overnight pack, stuffed it with the bare necessities and ran to the door.

She was just about to open it when a thought crossed her mind. If she went through the lobby Kai could possibly see her. No. She had to get out some other way. Running to the window she pulled it open and looked outside. Just as she thought. Every room had a fire exit built onto the back of the room. Pulling her gloves from her pocket, she pulled them on, pulled the hood of her jumper up over her head and climbed out.

Running down the stairs of the fire escape, she skipped the last row of steps and just jumped straight down, landing with a thud in the snowy ground. Getting to her feet, she brushed the snow off her pants and ran. She headed for the main street, which was still busy. She was in such a hurry to get away she didn't notice the people staring at her as she ran past, or the black car, which followed after her.

Max watched Sam go then blinked with confusion. "That was very strange… " he murmured. "What's up with Sam?" A voice asked from a doorway. Max looked up in surprise to see Kai standing there. "Huh?" he asked. Kai looked at him steadily. "I just saw Sam tearing down the hall and into her room. What's up with her?" Max shook his head. "That's what I can't figure out." Max replied. "We were talking about Bivolt and– " Kai cut him off.

"Why were you two talking about Bivolt?" He demanded. Max blinked. "Sam went there when she was little. When I told her it was your grandfather who owned it, she went all weird. She said something about being tired and left the room." Kai nodded and left the room, leaving an even more confused Max behind.

'So Sam went to Bivolt.' He thought, 'that means my Grandfather _is_ involved.' He unlocked his room and went in, only to find the room empty. 'Strange. I didn't notice Sam come out.' It was then that he noticed the window opened. Running to it, he looked down in time to see someone in a hooded blue jacket, whom he guessed was Sam, running down the street, he could only just make her out in the darkness. He also was in time to see a boy clothed in black run to an awaiting car, say something to the driver before he chased after her, followed closely by the black car.

Cursing under his breath, Kai grabbed his black jacket, pulled up the hood, grabbed his gloves and left the room in the same manner as Sam. Reaching the ground, he ran in the same direction Sam had, and saw her disappearing into the crowd. 'Perfect,' Kai thought, 'the crowd will slow her down.' He then cut a right and ran down an alley, unaffected by the gloom, before turning left and running down another alley, which ran parallel with the main street. 'Sam may have gotten a head start, but I know these streets better then she does. I have my time in Bivolt to thank for that.' He glanced to his left and saw Sam running past, suddenly illuminated by the light of one of the lanterns out the front of a shop. 'Got ya!' He increased his speed and turned up the next alley.

Stopping at the edge, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Sam heading towards him, her head down. This probably meant that she hadn't seen the two men chasing after her. Kai watched her draw closer, then the moment she drew level with him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley. She gasped in surprise but he didn't give her a chance to react. Tightening his grip he pulled her after him as he ran down the maze of alleys, Sam soon recovered and started to struggle but Kai refused to release her.

He could hear feet running after him, and obviously Sam could too as she stopped struggling and ran along with him. Kai was now able to pick up the pace and as he ran he racked his brain for where they could go. Suddenly he had an idea. Taking a sharp right he made a quick left then another right and finally a left. Then he saw it. An old building, tucked away behind a high brick fence. Leaning against the fence however, was a large rubbing dump, with a few boxes beside it. Without missing a beat, he released Sam's hand, leapt from the box to the bin and finally up onto the wall. Sam was directly behind him and, reaching down a hand, he helped pull her up over the fence before dropping to the ground, their landing softened by the snow.

Both he and Sam were breathing heavy. He heard her open her mouth to speak, but at that moment the sound of running feet caught Kai's ears. Without thinking, he pulled Sam down against the wall his hand over her mouth and his body covering hers. This way, if anyone were to look over the wall, they would be obscured from view, Kai's jacket blending in to the darkness.

To his great relief Sam didn't make any sound of protest and in a few moments the men approached the wall and stopped panting. "Damn! She got away! He ain't going to be happy about this!"

"Yeah well, it's not our fault, we would have got her if it hadn't been for that other kid showing up. Damn that kid was fast."

"He won't accept excuses! We are in deep trouble. Come on. We better go report this."

"Hang on, what's your hurry? Maybe they're hiding out around here somewhere."

"I doubt it, but have a look if it suits ya."

"I will. You go check down that alley and I'll check behind this wall."

Kai felt Sam tense beneath him, but remained perfectly still as he heard and felt the thumping of feet against the wall beside him. There were a few grunts then silence as whoever it was looked over the top of the wall. Kai prayed whoever was up there wouldn't jump down. A second later there was a thump on the other side of the wall and Kai could have breathed with relief. "Nothing," Said a voice in disgust. "Not even footprints in the snow. They definitely didn't go that way. How'd you go?"

"Nothing," another voice said, "They're long gone. Let's head back. We are in deep trouble!"

Kai waited for a minute before he heard footsteps receding then waited another couple of minutes just to be sure. When all stayed quiet, he carefully got to his feet and reaching up, pulled himself up just high enough to look over the wall. To his relief the alley was empty.

Letting out his breath he jumped back down and looked down at Sam. She was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. She pulled her hood back with shaking hands and let out an even shakier breath. "That was too close." She looked up at him, but his face was hidden in shadow. "Thanks." Kai made a grunt of recognition before sitting down beside her. "So you went to Bivolt huh?" Sam stiffened.

"How…how did you know that?" Kai smiled and removed his hood. It took a moment for Sam to make him out in the darkness, but the full moon suddenly appeared out from a cloud illuminating his face. Sam immediately jumped to her feet, her voice shaking. "You!? You're here to take me back aren't you? I won't go back Kai! I mean it!" Kai got to his feet but Sam took a step back and pulled out her blade. Kai thought she was going to shot it at him but instead she put it to her wrists. "I'd rather die before going back!" she said angrily, drawing a thin layer of blood to prove it.

Kai held up his hands in surrender as he took a slow step forward. "I'm not going to take you back Sam. If I was, why would I save you from those guys?" He thought this reasoning would get her to relax but instead she just stepped back further. "So that you can get all the glory for yourself!" she spat. "But I won't go Kai! I almost died there from the – " at that moment her leg bumped against a tree stump and she became distracted. Kai took the opportunity and running forward, he grabbed the hand which held her blade and pulled it away from her wrist. Unfortunately, his momentum caused Sam to trip over the root of the tree and she fell backwards onto her back, Kai landing on top of her.

Placing a knee on either side of her, he pinned her hands by her side and rested his weight on her stomach. Sam struggled, trying to free herself. "No! Let me go Kai! I won't let it happen to me again. I won't!" Kai could hear the fear in her voice and her eyes were flashing with anger and tears. "Calm down!" he ordered, the tone in his voice causing Sam to stop instantly. "I am NOT taking you back to Bivolt, ok?" Sam shuddered with fright but managed to nod. "Ok. Now just calm down." With these words he rolled off her and sat in the snow. Sam sat up slowly and took a shuddery breath.

"Now," Kai said, holding her blade in his hand. "What exactly is it that you won't let happen?" Sam looked at him and it was then that Kai noticed just how scared she was. Even with just the moonlight, Kai could see she was completely pale, her lips were trembling and her whole body shook. She looked like a child standing before a monster. Kai looked her straight in the eye. "Sam," he said solemnly, "what are you so afraid of?" Sam looked at him for a moment before looking away. "You wouldn't understand," she whispered.

"Try me." Sam looked back up at him and swallowed. All the memories of the past were returning and she could do nothing to stop them. Closing her eyes she tried to shut out everything but it seemed the world was closing in on her. "Sam?" Kai asked again, "what happened to you at Bivolt?" Sam opened her eyes and looked at Kai.

The fear in her eyes was gone and in its place was pure hatred. She looked him dead in the eye. "Things you can't even imagine," she replied, her voice hard. Then looking down at the snow, she allowed the memories to overcome her and she started to tell the story that had changed her life.


	17. A Bitter Past

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 17 – A Bitter Past!**

"I can't remember exactly when it started. It happened so often I can't think of a single moment when it didn't, but I know there was. I mean, before my parents died, I'm sure I had a pretty normal life. I think if my mother knew what was going to happen to me she wouldn't have saved me. For years I wished she hadn't. Sometimes I still do. But she did and then I went to Bivolt and that's when it started.

At first everything was fine. Well as fine as things could be in Bivolt. I was trained hard to be a perfect blader. By the time I was seven I had fallen into a very demanding routine. I would wake at five and immediately begin training my body. Then I would blade and I wouldn't stop training until I was physically unable to. I was then given a half hour break followed by more training. It would be this way until six. Then I was allowed to rest and study. Train my mind. I found this hard at first but I still learnt the… consequences of showing weakness. By the time I was nine, I was unable to show emotion. Which was exactly what he wanted. After all, emotion was a weakness…and weakness was not tolerated at Bivolt.

He would frequently test me. Abusing me physically…mentally…any way he could, waiting to see if I'd crack and when I did, the abuse would greaten. I swear I could have died from some of the treatments I was given. Electric shock treatment was his favourite but sometimes he would just resort to physical beatings. Then when I turned twelve, the real abuse started."

Sam paused and Kai just stared at her waiting for her to continue. When she didn't he prompted her. "What abuse?" Sam turned to face him, her face hard. "Can't you guess Kai? I was abused physically, mentally, emotionally, but there as still one area he hadn't tested yet." She looked at Kai but he looked completely lost. Sam sighed, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I was raped! Constantly. Soon it just came to be another form of abuse. Another way of trying to get me to crack" Kai couldn't keep the shock from his face. "Oh, didn't you realise your Grandfather was capable of that!" She laughed harshly, "then there's an awful lot you don't know about your Grandfather. No…he's capable of a lot of things." She paused. "So when I was fourteen, I knew I had to leave. I'm strong Kai," she looked at him accusingly, "but I'm not that strong. I left Bivolt with the help of Drazema. In fact, that was the only reason I was kept at Bivolt."

"You mean Voltaire was after your bitbeast?!"

Sam nodded. "Of course. You see Drazema has many secrets too. Secrets only I can reveal. But I won't. That's why Voltaire hasn't just stolen my blade. He needs me. And he's obviously going through a lot of effort to get to me. But I refuse to give in. If he wants me, he's going to have to do a lot better then what he already is. You see, Drazema warns me when someone from Bivolt is around. That's why she glowed when I first battled you. I didn't pick up on it at first. Not until Max told me who you were."

She glanced up at him. "You see now why I can't go back. Voltaire wants that secret. And he is going to use any means to get it out of me. But I can't tell him. If I did…" she stopped and smiled, "but it doesn't matter cause he ain't going to get it." But Kai's curiosity was raised now.

"Why? What would happen?" Sam's eyes went dark. "I'd die." Kai's eye's widened in disbelief. "It's true. The secret of Drazema will die with me. I'd die without it anyway."

"How? I don't understand."

"In order to access the secret I need to give all my energy. Without my energy my heart stops and I die. You see what happens in battles when the person runs out of energy. They faint and their blade stops spinning." Kai nodded.

"Well with Drazema, she doesn't just stop spinning and I don't just faint. She takes me into her and I lose all my energy and I die, simple as that."

Kai shook his head. "How do you know all that?"

"Because the secret was shown to me when my mother died. Drazema was her blade and she gave up her energy to show me the secret."

"But I thought your parents died in a car accident." Kai replied.

"What do you think caused the accident?" Kai paused. He couldn't believe Sam was talking about this so calmly. How could she live with knowing that she carried something that was going to kill her? Sam suddenly stood up. "So now you know," she said quietly. "Like I said Kai, I'd die before I'd go back there. I'm dead if I go back there anyway. At least if I killed myself, I'd keep the secret with me and it would be a lot less…painful."

Kai rose to his feet. "Don't worry Sam. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Sam looked up at him with surprise, but Kai was looking away. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked over at her. "Don't make promises you can't keep Kai. You obviously don't know what your Grandfather can do." With that she took her blade from his hand, placed it in her pocket and headed back over to the place where they had jumped the wall. Glancing back over at Kai she smiled warmly, her face seeming to shimmer in the moonlight. It was as though all the memories were now hidden beneath the mask she always wore. Turning away from him, she quickly scaled the wall. Kai followed after her, lost in thought. Only he knew what was hidden beneath the mask and now that he did, he was starting to wish he didn't.

As they headed back to the hotel, neither of them spoke. Both of them were oblivious to each other and the crowds around them, despite the lateness in time. It wasn't until they were about to cross the road to the hotel that Sam finally spoke. Turning to face Kai, she held his gaze as she spoke. "You can't tell anyone what I have told you…not even the rest of the team." The mask was gone, and Sam was once again the scared, tortured girl he had spoken to only minutes before. Kai nodded his head in agreement and Sam smiled, replacing the mask as she transformed back into the calm, confident girl she was when they first met.

They entered the hotel through the front and headed towards the elevator. Just as they passed the receptionist he called out to her. "Samantha Coredori of the Bladebreakers?" Sam turned to face him. "Yes?" The boy held out an envelope. "This came for you a few minutes ago." Sam walked over and took the envelope form him. There was no name or return address on it. Confused but smiling anyway, she turned away from the boy and walked towards the elevator. Kai was looking at her questioningly but she ignored him.

Once they reached their room, Sam went straight to her bedroom and closed the door. Sitting on the bed, Sam opened the envelope. Looking inside she pulled out a piece of plain paper. On it someone had written five words which sent shivers up Sam's spine.

_The secret will be revealed_

Sam felt the envelope fall to the ground as she sat there in shock. Shaking her head to shake away the thoughts running through her head, she returned to reality. Looking down she noticed something else sticking out of the envelope. Picking it up she saw it was a small medallion with a picture of a pyramid with a cat's eye in the center. Sam gasped in shock and let the pendant fall to the ground. 'How could they know the secret?! No! They couldn0't have…but then…' Sam stopped and let her thoughts fade.

So Voltaire knew the ancient tale…no matter! He would never be able to open the secret without her and she wasn't going to help him. Just then a knock sounded at the door. "Come in!" Sam called, stashing the enveloped and its contents under her pillow as the door slowly opened. A second later a familiar blonde head filled the doorway. "Sam?"

"Max!" Sam cried happily, jumping off the bed and giving him a hug. Max laughed. "I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you were ok." Sam was touched.

"Thanks Maxy but I'm fine. Honest. In fact…" she walked towards the door, "I'm feeling a little hungry. Any pizza left?" Max shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Tyson found it…didn't even stand a chance." Sam giggled.

"How 'bout ice-cream then?" Max glanced at his watch. "At 9:30 at night?" Sam shrugged.

"Why not? It's open." Max looked at Sam doubtfully then smiled broadly. "Sounds like fun!" Sam laughed too.

"Great! Let's go."

Together her and Max headed towards the door. As they passed Kai, she noticed him staring at her. She paused. "We're going for ice-cream…you can come…if you want…" To her relief, Kai shook his head. As grateful as she was for Kai helping her, he was still a pain in the butt as far as she was concerned. Shrugging offhandedly, she followed Max out the door. "Suit yourself." With that they left the room, closing the door on their laughter as they went. Kai crossed over to the window and watched her and Max as they went towards the ice-creamery. As much as he denied it, he couldn't help feeling a slight dread for her safety. Narrowing his eyes, he turned away from the window and went to his room. "Might as well enjoy the silence while it lasts," he mumbled to himself, "Lord knows she'll be bouncing around the room once she has sugar!"


	18. Mistaken Identity

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 18 – Mistaken Identity!**

Kai heard a knock at the door and groaned. "Is it too much to ask for ten minutes of peace?!" He grumbled to himself, pushing himself off the couch where he'd been relaxing. Sam had left only twenty minutes ago and already he was being interrupted! The sound at the door became louder and he rolled his eyes. "I'm coming!" He snapped and the continuous knocking.

Just then a small scream sounded at the other end of the door just as Kai reached it followed by a 'thud' and the sound of running feet. Kai threw open the door and saw someone running down the hall and disappearing around the corner. It was then that he looked down.

There lying face down on the floor was a girl with long black hair. Kai's heart stopped for a moment at the thought that it was Sam, but it was then that he noticed this girl was smaller then Sam and was wearing different clothes too. Sam had been dressed in a blue jacket over a black shirt and jeans. This girl was wearing a purple jumper over a pink shirt and jeans. But other then this, the resemblance was uncanny.

'A mini Sam?' he thought, bending down to check on the girl. 'Great! There's two of them!' On closer inspection, he noticed the girl was unconscious, a bleeding scratch on her head above her eye, which was slowly starting to bruise. As he rolled the girl over to check her pulse, he swore he had seen her before, but he couldn't remember where. Knowing he couldn't leave her out in the hall, he carefully picked her up and laid her on the couch before getting a cold, damp cloth to place on her forehead.

Realising there wasn't anything else he could do, Kai took a seat in the other couch and waited, hoping Sam would return soon. Maybe she'd know who this mysterious girl was…

Sam returned back to her room at ten, Max having returned to his own room. Unlocking the door, she walked into the room and noticed it was uncannily quite. "Kai?" she called closing the door behind her.

"In here!" came the reply. The voice had come from the living room. Taking off her jacket, she hung it on the back of the chair, before going into the living room.

She saw Kai sitting up studying his blade. "Is everything ok? It seems so-" she stopped suddenly as her eyes fell on the girl spread out on the other couch. "Garnet!" She cried, running to the younger girl's side and kneeling beside her. She shook the girls arm gently. "Garnet?" The girl didn't move.

"She's been out for about forty minutes now," Kai commented, watching her closely. Sam didn't seem to hear him; in fact she seemed to have quite forgotten he was there at all.

Rising to her feet, she lifted Garnets head gently and sat down on the lounge, facing Kai and rested the young girls head in her lap. As she stroked her hair, she looked up at Kai. "What happened?" she whispered. Kai shrugged, "Wouldn't have a clue. Found her at the door and brought her in here." Sam nodded and looked back down at Garnet. Her face was pale and her lips slightly blue. After checking her vital signs to reassure herself, she looked up at Kai. "Can you get me a blanket for her please?" Kai grumbled something under his breath but did as he was asked, returning a second later with a blanket.

Sam spread the blanket over the young girl and waited in silence. Twenty minutes later, Garnets eyes fluttered open and she stared up at Sam, a confused look on her face. "Where…. where am I?" Sam shushed her. "You're ok. You're with me." Garnet focused her eyes on Sam's face. "Sam?" Sam nodded. "Oh Sam, I am so glad I found you." Tears rose in her eyes and Sam stared at her. "Why? What's happened?" Garnet smiled sadly.

"I've missed you sis," Garnet whispered, "I've been so lonely since you left and Jazon has been unbearable…" she sighed sadly and Sam felt a ball of guilt well up in her stomach. "I'm sorry Garnet," she whispered, "honest I am. But you know I couldn't stay."

Garnet nodded. "I know, I don't blame you." She looked Sam straight in the eye, "I blame that Jazon!' Sam smiled at the sound of disgust in her voice. "Don't laugh at me Sam!" she growled, "I know you blame him too." She looked at her friend sadly. "I know he broke your heart…that's why you left." Sam stared at her in shock, a slight tinge of pink showing on her cheeks. "Well, well…look who's all grown up, hmmm?" Garnet giggled and suddenly a cough sounded off to one side.

Both girls looked up to see Kai staring at them, having forgotten he was even there. "As much as I hate to break the moment," he said dryly, "but you still haven't explained how you ended up here and unconscious none the less." Garnet pulled a face at him and Sam giggled. Some things never changed. "As much as I hate to admit it…." Sam said slowly, "Kai's right. Why are you here?" Garnet blushed.

"Well, me and the rest of the gang were looking about the shops and well…Jazon was being a pain as always so I kinda wandered off on my own and…"

"Garnet!" Sam chided, "You know Jazon hates it when you wander off!" Garnet rolled her eyes.

"Oh please! Name one thing Jazon doesn't hate…other then himself." Sam had to laugh at this.

"Hmmm…sounds like someone else I know," she looked pointedly at Kai as she said this. Garnet groaned, "Oh no Sam! Please don't tell me there's two Jazon's in the world!"

Sam shook her head and laughed. "Anyway," she said, returning to the topic at hand, "So you wandered off and…?"

"Oh! Ummm…let's see. Oh! That's right. I saw you and that blue haired guy…" Sam interrupted.

"You mean Kai."

"Who?" Sam pointed to Kai and Garnet looked at him. "That was you?" she asked, and Kai rolled his eyes. Garnet shrugged, "anyway, I saw yous walking back to this hotel, but you were so distracted you didn't seem to notice me. So I followed you to your hotel, but then I lost sight of you so I had to ask the receptionist guy where you were and he wouldn't tell me…rude individual! So I waited for a few minutes for you to reappear but you didn't. Then I decided to do what I do best…" Sam groaned,

"Garnet! Please tell me you didn't annoy the receptionist! Please tell me." Garnet giggled,

"Ok…I didn't annoy the receptionist." Sam looked her in the eyes in surprise. "Really?"

"No." Sam leant against the chair in exasperation. "Garnet!"

"What?!"

Sam heard Kai chuckling in one corner. "What's so funny?" she demanded. Kai looked at her, a smug smile on his face. "You and Garnet have a lot in common!"

"I resent that!" Sam declared.

"Hey! What's wrong with being like me?" Garnet demanded glaring at Sam. Sam sighed.

"We're getting off the subject here," she said pointedly. Garnet glared at her but resumed the story anyway. "Well, so once I found out you were in room 204 I couldn't wait for the elevator and took the stairs instead. But I got off at the first floor, and it took me a while to realise that. So by the time I found out you were on the second floor, I was completely confused. Anyway, I eventually found your room and was knocking on the door when someone came up behind me and that's all I remember…" She suddenly glared at Kai, "what were you doing anyway to take so damn long to answer the door?!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "I _was _enjoying the peace and quite." Garnet pulled a face at Kai again before looking at Sam. "You're right! He is like Jazon!" Sam smiled for a moment then grew serious. "But I don't get it. Why would anyone hurt you, Garnet?" This made everyone think for a moment. Finally Kai spoke up. "Unless they thought it was you." He looked at Sam.

"Huh?" Sam looked confused.

"Well you and Garnet do look alike. I thought it was you when I first saw her." Garnet smiled at this. "So maybe the attacker thought it was you Sam." Sam nodded.

"Sounds reasonable." But she looked troubled.

"What's wrong Sam?" Garnet asked.

Before Sam could answer however, there was a loud knock at the door. Whoever was knocking obviously wasn't very patient as a second later a voice called through the door: "Sam! I know you're in there! Open up right now!" Sam rolled her eyes and Garnet cringed. "Great! Jazon's showed up!" Garnet said sarcastically, recognizing the voice.

Kai stood up and went to the door. A moment later Jazon, followed by the rest of the team entered the room. "Garnet!" Jazon exclaimed, "You have got to stop running off!" Garnet sighed. "Sorry Jazon," she mumbled.

"Sorry? Sorry?! Sorry doesn't cut it! We are going to have a serious talk when we get home!"

"Great!" Garnet mumbled under her breath, rising to her feet and following Jazon out the door.

As they made their way down the hall, she turned back and waved at Sam and Kai. "Bye guys!" she called, "thanks for everything!" Sam waved after her but Kai just turned and walked back inside. "Maybe now we can get some peace!" Sam just laughed and went into her room. "Good night Kai," she called teasingly, "see you tomorrow." She closed the door still smiling. But as she got ready for bed, she quickly sobered up. Voltaire was obviously trying every opportunity to get her. She had to be careful now that she never went anywhere alone. Otherwise she could end up a lot worse then Garnet…she could end up never waking up!


	19. Back To Basics

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 19 – Back to basics!**

Sam awoke early the net morning to the sound of her alarm going off. Groaning to herself, she somehow managed to pull herself out of bed and grabbing a change of clothes, she made her way to the bathroom. After having a quick shower, she changed into a pair of black tracksuit pants and a tight fitting red shirt. She then ran a quick brush through her wet hair, pulling back into a tight bun, before stepping out.

Kai was already making himself some toast and drinking a cup of tea when she emerged. Without saying anything to him, she grabbed herself a mug and made a cup of coffee for herself, adding two sugars to it. "On no…." Kai murmured, watching her closely. "What?" Sam asked sleepily. "I can't wait to see you on caffeine _and_ sugar!" he said dryly. Sam stuck her tongue out at him as she took a sip of her coffee and felt some energy returning to her body. She couldn't believe how tired she was.

Kai obviously wasn't too impressed either. "I hope you aren't going to be too tired to practice," he said with mock concern. "There's only nine weeks before the Championships and we need to work on team battling." Sam made some non-committal comments as she continued to sip her coffee and let her mind wander. After a moment she realised Kai was calling her. "Sam?"

"Huh? Wha-?" She looked up at Kai but he just shook his head. "Were you even listening?" Sam didn't reply. Instead she stared into space, her mind for once empty of all thoughts.

That was until Kai interrupted her once more. "Come on!" he ordered, "Time for practice!" Sam didn't move, her whole body too relaxed to even think of doing anything. "Come on Sam!" Kai demanded, grabbing her arm. Sam blinked in surprise. "Huh? Oh right! Sorry." She quickly sculled the rest of her coffee and headed for the door. Suddenly she paused. "I'll be back in a sec," she called, running back into her room.

Reaching under her pillow she pulled out the medallion and placed it around her neck, hiding it under her shirt. Running back out, she saw Kai hadn't bothered to wait for her, but was heading towards the elevator, banging on his team mates doors as he went. Max poked his head out of his door and smiled at Sam as she walked past. "I take it Kai isn't in the best of moods?" Sam shook her head smiling back as she headed for the elevator.

Kai was already waiting beside it for the doors to open. Sam stood against the wall and closed her eyes. She couldn't wait to start blading. It felt like it had been an eternity since she had last bladed. Just as Max showed up, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Sam smiled a welcoming to him, walking into the elevator and hitting the 'B' button. The doors slid shut again and Max talked to Sam about a new move he'd been practicing and if she could help him. Sam readily agreed and as soon as they hit their floor, she and Max went over to the dish.

A couple of minutes later the rest of the team showed up, dragging a very unhappy Tyson. "Kai…" he whined as soon as he saw him, dragging the word out. "It's Sunday for heavens sake. Can't we have the day off?" Kai just ignored him, watching as Sam taught Max how to balance on the edge of the dish. Max's blade however kept missing the mark and he'd ever stop too early or topple over the edge.

After a while, Kai grew bored and went to practice with the cones, as Sam had down yesterday. As he bladed he could hear Sam talking to Max. "The trick is knowing when to slow down and speed up…" Sam said after a moment, "but you also need to have good balance," she added seeing Max's blade wobble slightly. Max recalled his blade and looked at Sam. "Can you show me?" Sam nodded and pulled out her blade. Launching it into the dish, she showed Max how it was done, circling the rim a couple of times before recalling it. Max watched in amazement. "You make it looks so easy!" He commented after a moment. "It's not!" Sam replied, "It takes a lot of practice and patience."

"Something Sam's renowned for!" Kai suddenly added, from his side of the room.

Sam glared at him, and then noticed his blade, which was taking on the course at top speed and without any difficulty. Sam smiled. "See how Kai's blade is able to swerve at just the right time…" Max nodded, watching Kai's blade, "that's what you need to work on. In fact you should try doing something like this." Taking out her blade, she launched it onto the course and watched it take the course, gaining speed. Once she was sure it had enough she headed straight towards a cone. Max waited for her to turn but instead she allowed her blade to run into it.

Max expected it to rebound and stop spinning but it didn't. Instead at the last moment Sam got her blade to tilt back and go straight up, stopping at the very top and spinning in one place. Max whistled appreciatively. "Now that's hard!" Sam shook her head. "No, it's basic." She replied. "Once you can get your blade to control its speed and balance, you can do just about any trick without too much difficulty. It's all about going back to basics." Just the Kai's blade shot past the cone Sam's blade was balancing on, causing it to rock slightly from the speed of Kai's blade going past. Sam's blade bent with the cone, managing to stay on top.

Sam watched Kai's blade for a moment in thought. "Kai for example," she said suddenly, turning to Max, "would have no difficulty pulling off this kind of a trick," she glanced at Kai, "with the proper training." Kai rolled his eyes. "What?" Sam demanded, "It's true." But Kai just recalled his blade and glared at her. "Of course Dranzer can do it!" he snapped, "Its not that hard!" Sam pointed to the course. "Then show me what you can do." Kai shrugged, launched his blade and waited for it to gain speed.

He then directed it to the cone opposite Sam's and commanded it to go up. It obeyed his command, tilting back slightly as it started to climb the cone. "It's not going to make it," Sam remarked, as Dranzer began the ascent. Kai glanced at her, wondering how she knew hat, then back at his blade, which to his surprise was starting to wobble. He recalled his blade and glared at Sam, whose blade was still spinning on top of the cone.

Sam smiled cheekily. "Oh come on Kai. It's not that hard!" Kai narrowed his eyes, reloading his blade. Launching it, he tried the same manoeuvre, but again Dranzer didn't make the rise without wobbling and sliding down again. Sam watched Kai's expression and saw he was getting frustrated. Recalling her blade she launched it, and let it climb another cone, and allowed it to spin on top before recalling it. Kai watched it but couldn't see a difference between that and what he had done.

Sam glanced at him. "Want a hand?" Kai crossed his arms over his chest. "When I want help from a girl I'll ask for it!" Sam shrugged and turned to Max. "You see Max," she said, making sure Kai could hear her, "the difference between Kai and I, is that I know what I'm doing." She didn't look at Kai as she spoke, but knew he was listening. "You see Kai doesn't gain enough speed and doesn't get his blade to tilt enough to take the cone. He doesn't have enough faith in his blade." With that she headed over to the dish, not looking back at Kai.

Tyson and Ray were battling each other and Sam pretended to be interested in their battle, but she watched Kai out of the corner of her eye. As she watched she saw him examine his blade before launching it. He didn't say anything, but after a moment she saw it heading up a cone and balancing on the top. Kai recalled it and launched it again. The same thing happened. Recalling his blade he suddenly glanced up and caught Sam's eyes. Sam smiled at him in way of congratulations but Kai just ignored her and continued practicing. "You're welcome," she muttered sarcastically under her breath as she watched Tyson win the battle and stepped up to have a go against him.

At the end of the day Sam was feeling more tired then ever. Kai hadn't said a word to her since training but she had caught his eyes on her a couple of times and wondered what his problem was. Just because she was a girl, didn't mean she was lower then he was. Still, she didn't say anything to him, wanting to be the more mature one for once.

At the end of practice Kai called everyone's attention. "Tomorrow we shall be having a different kind of training." They looked at him in interest. Except Sam, who leant against a wall in boredom, wondering what lecture he was going to give now. What he said next however, took her by surprise. "I think Sam's right when she says we need to get back to basics, so tomorrow, she will be teaching us some manoeuvres to help us with our speed and balance." With that he turned away, not looking at anyone as he headed for the elevator.

Everyone's eyes flickered between Sam and Kai's as she stared at him. 'Did he just say I was right?' she thought, unable to believe her ears. The boys had to be thinking the same thing as a moment later Tyson spoke up. "Did Kai just say someone else was right? As in other then him? And about a girl?" He looked about his team mates in shock, before looking at Sam and smiling warmly. "So coach…" he said after a moment, hope showing in his eyes. "How about a sleep in tomorrow?"

Sam drew her eyes away from Kai and smiled at Tyson. "Not a chance!" she said as she walked towards the elevator. Without looking back she suddenly heard a groan and a thump and shook her head. This day had indeed been interesting.


	20. Big Trouble

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 20 – Big Trouble!**

The next morning Sam got straight into the training. She got each boy to launch his blade into the course and watched him to decipher just how much work each one would need, both as a team and individually. Kai watched too, trying to seem disinterested, but Sam knew he was slightly eager to see how she would handle the training.

She got Kenny to tape and analyse each training session, and tell her what his opinion was. After an hour of examination Sam had in her mind, who needed what. Max seemed to need to most training – not that she said this aloud – both in speed and balance. Ray was going to be easy to teach, his blade already having incredible speed and balance. Tyson's had great speed, but the balance needed work. As for Kai, his blade seemed to be perfectly fine – it was the blader that needed work, which wasn't going to be easy.

With this clear in mind, Sam started her training. She got two boys at a time to train in the dish, while the other two practiced in the course. She intended to spend one-on-one training with each boy according to his needs, once they had all managed the basics. This took a while at first, none of the boys used to having her as a coach and a couple of times none knew what she was talking about and she had to give demonstrations.

After three days however, Ray and Kai had completely mastered both dish and course manoeuvres, and in a week Tyson too had mastered the tricks. Max took a little more time, but Sam had private training with him and by the end of a fortnight the entire team had completed their training. Kenny for one was impressed by the vast improvement of their team.

Three days later, as they were all practicing Kenny approached them with some news. "I just received a message from Mr. Dickenson, and apparently there may be some blading on ice."

"Ice?" Tyson exclaimed, "as in ice - ice? Freezing cold, slippery, wet stuff that you put into you drinks? As in –" He would have gone on forever if Kenny hadn't stepped in. "Yes! That ice." The team looked thoughtful for a moment, then Sam spoke.

"So what's the problem?" she demanded, "there's a frozen lake in the park. We'll just go in there and practice." The boys all nodded, and looked at Kai for his approval. He had his eyes closed and was leaning against a wall, but finally he spoke. "There is only seven weeks until the championships. That means we are going to need to spend as much time as possible training. But none of us have bladed on ice before…so then obviously we need to get practice in that." Tyson pumped his fists in the air.

"Ice or no ice, we are going to win!" he cried. Sam giggled at this and headed for the elevator. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The team followed after her and a moment later they were at the park a block over from the hotel, ready to start practicing. The park was fairly crowded and they had to shove their way through a few people before they reached the lake in the middle of the park. They stared at it for a moment. It was frozen solid, but no one was sure just how solid it was.

Sam volunteered to go first, and loading her launcher she aimed her blade at the ice and pulled back on the ripcord. Her blade flew towards the ice and hit it solidly, bouncing slightly. To Sam's great relief, the ice didn't crack. However, her blade was wobbling a bit, unused to the surface. Sam tried to control her blades movements but the ice made it practically impossible. The rest of the team had a try at it, but no one had much luck and they all returned to the hotel deflated.

The next morning, they headed towards the park, not wanting to give up yet. Kenny was unusually happy and once they reached the park he told them why. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a box containing a lot of different pieces for a beyblade. "I spent last night working on these. There's one for each of you, and it should help your blades balance easier on the ice." He handed one to each of them as they assembled their blades with the pieces. "What do they do Chief?" Tyson asked, placing the new attack ring on his blade.

Kenny typed away at his computer, before turning it around to face them. "Well as you may have noticed, the ring I have given you is slightly heavier then the ones you have now. This is to give your blade more weight on the ice, so it will be able to give you more control. And this," he held up a small object, "is to be placed at the base of the beyblade." He showed them the diagram on his laptop, "unlike the base of your blades now, which are rounded, this base has a small point at the base which helps your blade spin better on the ice."

"Like ice skates." Sam mumbled thoughtfully. Kenny nodded. "Exactly!" Sam looked at her new blade.

"Well, it can't hurt to try."

With that she aimed her blade at the ice and launched it. It hit the ice, but didn't bounce; instead it circled the lake, and then zigzagged back towards Sam. Sam smiled as she recalled her blade. "Now that's better!" She looked at Kenny, "Good work Chief!" Kenny blushed and smiled happily.

"Oh, it wasn't anything special."

Sam launched her blade again and the rest of her team did the same. All were very satisfied with their blades performance. "Nothing can stop us now!" Tyson yelled as they headed back towards the hotel and Sam had to smile. It was great to be part of a team again and she just hoped Tyson was right and that nothing would stop her from getting to the Championships.

"Come on Sam!" Kai yelled angrily, watching her blade wobble as it hit the dish. Sam sighed angrily as Ray's blade hit hers and it flew from the dish. She knew she was battling poorly, but she was exhausted. They had been blading hard all morning and Sam hadn't slept at all the night before.

Sam picked up her blade and went to sit down. "Where are you going?" Kai demanded.

"To rest!" Sam replied tightly, "Got a problem with that?" Her eyes were flaring and she was starting to get a headache. "As a matter of fact I do," Kai replied angrily. "Well, tough! You are not my parent!"

"No I'm not," Kai replied, "but you are on _my _team. And you will do as _I _tell you. Now get back up here and blade." Sam turned around and glared at him.

"Firstly Kai, I am not part of _your _team. In fact, the only reason I'm here is because you need me in order to enter this little tournament. So if I were you I'd get off my back!" Kai narrowed his eyes. She was right of course, but that only made Kai more irritated.

He opened his mouth to speak but Sam turned her back on him and walked away. Kai clenched his fist and turned to his team. "Tyson and Ray, your up." The two boys didn't argue. Kai looked back towards Sam but she was already in the elevator, the door closing and shutting her off from his view. Kai shook his head and went back to watching the boys train. Girls!

The moment she got outside, she took a huge breath of the cold air and started to feel better. 'Boys!' she thought angrily to herself, 'who the hell does he think he is!?' Sam started to walk down the street but paused and thought for a moment that maybe she should get one of her team mates to come with her, but realised that if she went back in there then she would be bombard with accusations from Kai and that he probably would make her keep blading. Sam turned away from the building. She could take care of herself!

It was late afternoon and a cool breeze was blowing, drawing Sam out onto the streets. She headed for the park and as she reached it she became aware of someone watching her. Glancing around her, she couldn't see anyone but that didn't change the uneasiness she felt. She quickened her pace and reaching into her back pocket pulled out her blade. It was glowing!

Placing it quickly back into her pocket, she did the only thing she could think of. She ran and despite her headache she could clearly hear the footsteps running behind her. Suddenly her head swam and she stumbled forward straight into a pole. Falling onto the ground, she looked up in a daze as a shadow came over her. Before she could make out whom it was that was standing above her, she felt a sharp jab in the back of her neck and everything started to go hazy. She was aware of the sound of a car pulling up and then nothing at all.


	21. Broken Promises

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 21 – Broken Promises!**

Kai looked at his watch for the eighth time. Sam had been gone three hours now and that was definitely not good. They had finished training an hour ago, when Kai saw it was clear that his team wasn't focusing with Sam being gone. He now sat in his room, trying to think of where she could have gone.

He had already talked to the receptionist but the man had simply told him that he had seen Sam run outside and that was the last he saw of her as she had not as yet returned. Kai glanced at his watch again and stood up. He couldn't understand why he was so concerned; Sam could take care of herself…couldn't she? He shook his head and wandered into the living room, trying to clear his head.

Sitting on the lounge he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, it did little good. Opening his eyes he was suddenly was aware of a phone ringing.

Walking out into the lounge room, he followed the sound and found himself in Sam's room. It was her mobile that was ringing. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello? Is Samantha there please?" Before Kai could reply the voice spoke again, "oh no, of course she isn't." The voice chuckled and Kai clenched the phone in his hands. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Worried are we Kai?" the voice made a 'tsk' noise, "so unlike you."

"I said where is she" He growled into the phone but the caller only laughed and hung up. Kai threw the phone onto the bed and ran into the lounge room. Grabbing his knee-length coat, he pulled it on as he ran from the room.

He was going to find Sam, and he was going to find her now. Not bothering to wait at the elevator, Kai ran down the stairs and out into the streets of Germany. He had no idea where he was going but he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. He had made a promise, and he only hoped he would not be too late to keep it. '"Where are you Sam?'"

Sam opened her eyes to find her world was in darkness. 'Where am I?' she thought, trying to recall what had happened, but she couldn't. The memory was gone. Glancing around she tried to get her eyes used to the darkness. Suddenly a bright light shone in front of her, blinding her eyes. Sam shut her eyes tight and turned her head away from the light. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw her world was once again in darkness, except for that one light behind her.

Sam felt the ground beneath her. It was cold and hard and Sam instantly knew she was sitting on concrete. Rising to her feet, she looked towards the light, shielding her eyes with her hand. It was then that she noticed a figure standing there, his whole body nothing but a shadow. It wasn't until he spoke, did Sam actually realise who it was, his voice chilling her to the bone. "So Sam, we meet again." Sam felt her blood run cold. "Voltaire!" she gasped. The man chuckled. "Glad to see you haven't forgotten me, Sam." He clapped his hands and her world suddenly became bright. Squinting her eyes, she opened them again slowly and looked about her surroundings.

As far as she could tell she was in an abandoned warehouse. Old 'toxic waste' barrels stood in a corner, rusted with age. Large concrete pillars stood throughout the room, holding up the tin roof, which was slightly eroded. Sam could see small rays of light shining through the holes so she knew it was still daylight outside. But other then that all the windows were barred with thick black curtains over them. The only door appeared to be the one Voltaire was standing in front of, meaning that was her only exit.

Sam suddenly remembered her blade and reached for her back pocket. With great relief she found it still there. "Oh yes, we didn't take your blade," Voltaire drawled, noticing her movements. "After all, you and I both know that you two are useless apart." Sam glared at him.

"Who are you calling useless!'' she snapped. Voltaire chuckled. "I see you still have that temper of yours," he laughed harshly and clicked his fingers, "well, we shall soon fix that."

Just then more shadows appeared beside him and Sam started to grow afraid. Very afraid. Voltaire stepped aside, and as the shadows entered the room Sam saw they were all boys of about her age. Their faces were set cold and harsh. Sam tried to keep her own face passive. "You remember these gentlemen don't you Sam?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice like poison. Sam felt her hand starting to shake and quickly hid it behind her back.

Oh she remembered these men alright. They were the men who had made every minute she spent at Bivolt a living hell. "They've missed you Sam," Voltaire continued, "so I invited them over to welcome you back." He then took a step back and looked at the boys gathered around her. "She's all yours boys. Make sure you give her a nice…long…welcome." Sam shuddered as the door closed shut behind her and she looked about her.

There were seven boys altogether and all of them smiled nastily at her as they approached. Sam instinctively took a step back as they drew nearer. Then she decided that she'd be better of running. Turning around she was about to make a run for it, when she found herself rebounding of something solid and falling back onto the hard ground. Glancing up she saw a boy, the eldest of the group, smiling nastily down at her. 'Make that eight boys altogether.' As she picked herself off the ground and turned to face her attackers one thought ran through her mind. 'Where the hell is Kai?!'

Sam looked at the face of each one of her attackers and knew she would find no pity amongst them. Looking beyond them she saw he door that Voltaire had left through and prayed it was unlock. Remembering all the training she did every morning she decided to put it to the test. Running towards the guy right in front of her, she spun round and kicked him directly in the stomach causing him to lean forward in pain. She then kicked him again across the side of the head sending him flying to the ground. Two more guys rushed at her from the sides. Ducking low she rolled out of the way and ran towards the door. Reaching it, she pulled hard on the handle and her heart plummeted…it was locked!

Hearing cruel laughter behind her, Sam turned back around to find all eight boys standing around her, the one she had knocked down, wiping blood from his lip as he glared at her. Sam knew she had no chance of escape, but she refused to give up without a fight. Taking her battle stance, she waited for the first guy to attack her. But to her horror, it wasn't just one guy but all eight…at once!

Trying her best not to give way to fear, she ran towards the gap forming, as they spread out. She saw one of them make a dive for her out of the corner of her and dodged him just in time but not without losing balance. Falling to the ground, she rolled across the ground, landing on her back. She saw one guy standing over her smiling, and did the only thing she could. Lifting her foot she kicked him as hard as she could…it just so happened she kicked him in his most painful of areas and he gave a shout of pain, doubling over. Sam smiled proudly as she the swiped her foot knocking him off his feet and into one of his companions.

Her victory was short lived however, when a rough hand grabbed her from behind as soon as she was on her feet and flung her across the room. Sam let out a cry of surprise, shielding her face as she hit the ground. She went to pick her self up only to find a strong hand wrapped around her throat. Without any effort, the boy picked her up and drove fist into her stomach. Sam felt the air explode from her lungs and her head spin as she gasped for breath. The boy then threw her to the ground.

Sam felt the concrete hit her hard as she hit the ground. She suddenly felt a sharp blow to the ribs as another boy kicked her hard. She gave a yell of pain, clutching her ribs as she tried to rise to her feet. Before she could even stand up straight someone hit her hard across the jaw and she fell to the ground again.

This went on for the next ten minutes…which seemed like an eternity to Sam…before she was suddenly thrown against the wall, face first, all air was knocked from her lungs. She felt herself be pushed from the side and fell to the ground, her head hitting the concrete hard right above her eye. Sam felt an explosion of pain as the world started to go hazy. In the darkness she heard the sound of a switchblade being flicked open and knew what was about to happen. She saw shadows descend upon her, as she began to lose consciousness she heard harsh laughter and felt a tear roll down her cheek. 'Kai…' she thought, feeling her mind shutting down, '…you promised.'


	22. Found At Last!

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 22 – Found at Last!**

Kai skidded round the corner and kept running. He had to find Sam and he had to find her soon. "But where could she be?!" he cried in desperation, causing a man beside him to jump. He knew Voltaire had her, and he now knew what he was capable of. He wasn't going to let that happen to Sam again. He had promised her that. Suddenly Sam's voice returned to him. 'Don't make promises you can't keep Kai.' Kai yelled in frustration. He had no idea where she was and he was running out of time. "Oh God! I can't do this! I need help…"

He froze where he was, closing his eyes and trying to think. He felt people shoving past his immobile body and muttering rude comments beneath their breath, but Kai ignored them. Suddenly a noise reached Kai's ears. It was a cry, but not that belonging to a human. No. It was the cry of a cat…a wild cat. Kai opened his eyes and suddenly he saw a bright light shoot through the sky. A silver light. A very familiar, silver light. ''Sam!"' Kai muttered under his breath. The light came from up ahead and he headed in the general direction of where it had come from.

Without waiting a second he sprinted off towards the light, practically shoving people over if they got in his way. He refused to slow down, not until he found out where Sam was, ignoring the stares of people around him. The light eventually led him into a quiet part of Germany where there were many old factories and run down houses. He made his way through several alleys and then suddenly appeared on his left. Without slowing down, he took a sharp left, skidding on some loose gravel and running into the wall. Glancing up he saw the light shining out of the roof of an old warehouse. Kai stared at the building for a second before running over to it.

It was surrounded by and old fence, the top of which was covered in barbwire. Kai looked around for a way in but could see no other way but to go over the top. Knowing he'd never be able to make it to the top, he decided to make his own entry. Raising his leg he kicked several times against the wall until finally the old wood gave way, creating a small hole. Kai then pulled away the old timber to create a larger hole. Climbing through it, he looked up at the old crumbling building, now still and quiet and prayed that he wasn't too late.

Sam awoke an hour later in an immense amount of pain. She couldn't decipher exactly where the pain was coming from, as it seemed her entire body was broken. After a moment, she felt coldness spreading through her body and realised her arms and legs were bare. Rising into sitting position, she waited for the pain in her head to subside before opening her eyes and looking around. She was all alone in the warehouse. Her attackers had disappeared.

She felt her body for any major injuries. She had cuts and bruises all over her, but as far as she could discern, no broken bone. She felt something on her mouth and wiped it away. Looking down at her hand, she saw blood on her fingers. She touched her lip again and the stain deepened and she knew her lip was bleeding. As she continued to feel her arms and legs she became aware that she was only in a bra and underwear, both of which set dishevelled on her body. Sam knew immediately that she had been raped. Holding back tears, she slowly fixed up her under things, so that they sat properly on her bruised body.

Glancing to her right, she saw her clothes thrown down beside her. With a shaking hand she picked up her shirt and pulled it on. Just as she had suspected, a large slash ran directly down the middle, from one end to the other. Sam couldn't hold back tears any longer and she felt them flow freely down her face as her whole body started to tremble. Reaching down for her pants, she realised they were shredded all the way up each leg so that they were now in two separate halves. Drawing away, her hand suddenly brushed against something in her back pocket.

'Drazema!' Sam cried silently. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her blade and smiled sadly down at it. "Oh Draz," she whispered, rummaging through her pants for her launcher. Pulling it out she pulled her knees up to her chest and loaded her blade before she launched it. "Draz, I need you!" she called softly, feeling the pain in her growing. Immediately, her blade started to glow. "Draz!" she screamed as loudly as she could. A second later, a brilliant silver light exploded from her blade and her bitbeast appeared.

Sam smiled sadly at her old friend, the tears pouring more then ever. Ashamed, Sam lowered her hands in her arms and cried, hard, raking sobs. Drazema looked at her master, worry clearly shown in her eyes as she observed her masters state. Sitting before her, Drazema raised her head to the sky and gave a loud, hurtful cry.

Kai entered the building and looked around. He was in a hallway; the floor was concrete and the walls bare. Walking slowly down the hall, he pulled out his blade and launcher and loaded it just in case. Wandering along, he saw several rooms to either side of him. All the doors were opened however, and Kai could clearly see they were empty. As he neared the end of the hallway though, he came across a closed door. A latch had been placed across it, preventing it from being opened from the inside. Looking down he suddenly noticed a silver light shining under the gap in the door. "Sam!" he whispered.

Pulling back the latch, he pulled the door open and stepped inside the room. It was completely dark, bar the light coming in from the doorway and the silver light coming from the far side of the room. Kai headed towards it and as he neared he saw a blade spinning in one place and coming from it was a bitbeast Kai had never seen before.

The bitbeast looked exactly like a panther. With an entire black body except for two paws (one at the front, one at the back), her ear tips and also her tail, which were all silver in colour. Her eyes were a bright dark blue like sapphires and her claws and teeth were pure white and extremely sharp. Put the most unusual thing, were two silver eagles wings that protruded from each shoulder. Kai stared at it in awe. Upon his arrival, the panther rose to its feet and spread its wings, staring at him with a blue penetrating stare.

After a moment it disappeared and that was when Kai saw the girl sitting behind it. Her legs were pulled up against her body, her head buried in her arms against her knee. Kai couldn't see anything about her face except for the black hair but Kai knew it was Sam. "Sam?" he whispered, anxiety evident in his voice. Upon hearing his voice Sam jumped and glanced up. Immediately Kai could see her swollen red eyes, tear streaked face and bleeding lip. Her face was extremely pale and her lips slightly blue.

Kai ran over to her and knelt beside her. It was then that he noticed her legs were completely bare and he could clearly see the cuts and bruises on them. Glancing around, he noticed the torn remains of her jeans. Closing his eyes tight, he managed to hold back the tears which threatened to fall. He felt Sam tremble as he placed his hand on her knee. "Are you ok Sam?" Even as he asked the question he knew what the answer would be. Sam felt fresh tears roll down her cheeks as she shook her head.

Kai cursed himself under his breath. 'Of course she's not ok!' he thought bitterly to himself, 'and it's all my fault!' Kai looked up at Sam again and gently brushed away the tear with his thumb. Even that gentle touch seemed to cause Sam pain as she winced slightly. Kai removed his hand. "Come on," he said gently, "let's get you out of here." Sam nodded her head slowly as Kai rose to his feet. Reaching down his hand, he felt Sam tentatively place her hand in his. Kai felt it shaking uncontrollably as he closed his hand around it.

As he pulled Sam to her feet, Kai noticed just how badly injured she was. There were cuts all over her body, some a lot deeper then others. He watched her stumble slightly as she got to her feet and automatically put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Sam gasped in pain and it was then that Kai noticed the bruise under his hand. As he examined her body however, it was hard to find a place where there wasn't a bruise.

Kai suddenly realised she was cold and practically half naked. Suddenly embarrassed, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it over her. Helping her arms into it, he wrapped it around her and saw it covered her considerably well, reaching all the way to her knees. Placing an arm carefully around her waist, he helped her out of the room. "We'd best get you to the hospital," he said quietly but Sam shook her head vigorously. "No!" she cried hoarsely, "don't leave me! Please." She turned and stared into his eyes, her whole body trembling. "They'll only find me and hurt me again. You can't!" Kai could see she was getting hysterical.

Placing an arm on her shoulder very gently, so as not to hurt her bruised skin, he nodded his head. "I won't leave you Sam. I'll stay with you until they've treated your cuts, then we'll go." Sam stared into his eyes. "I don't want anyone to know what happened." She whispered.

"But Sam…" Kai began. Sam didn't let him finish. "No Kai!" she said determinedly, "I managed without doctors before, I shall manage now!" Kai tried to reason with her.

"But what about your cuts?"

"They'll heal." She snapped, glaring at him. Kai realised she wouldn't see reason and nodded his head. "Ok Sam. You win. No doctors."

"Promise?" Kai was a little surprised she was still wiling to accept his promises but he nodded again. "I promise." Sam sighed with relief and turned back towards the door.

With difficulty Kai helped her outside and hailed a taxi. He wanted to tell the taxi driver to take them straight to the hospital but instead told him to head to the hotel and a few minutes later, they were there. Kai paid the taxi driver and helped Sam into the room and ran a bath for her. He then left the room to tell the boys that Sam was back safely while she bathed.

The boys asked many questions as to what had happened but Kai refused to say anything. He only told them she was unwell and would need to take it easy. He cautioned them not to say anything to her about today and left the room. Returning to his room he found the bathroom now empty. Slightly anxious, he went to Sam's room and knocked on the closed door. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. Unsure of what to do, worry for her safety soon overcame the worry of embarrassment and he slowly opened the door. Peering in, he was relieved to see Sam, fully dressed, collapsed on the bed at an odd angle, already fast asleep.

Walking over to her, he chuckled to himself as he carefully lifted her up and placed her properly on the bed. Sam rolled over onto her stomach and sighed in her sleep. Kai was about to pull the blanket up over her, when he noticed the tattoo on her back. The words were cut of by her pyjama bases, but the shirt was pulled up slightly revealing the rest of the tattoo. Kai studied it for a moment and suddenly realised what it was. It was an abstract picture of a phoenix! Kai stared at it for a moment then was over come by curiosity as to what the words beneath it said.

He was about to pull the hem of her pants down when Sam suddenly turned over again. Kai sighed, smiling slightly to himself. Pulling the blanket up over her, he smoothed the hair out of her eyes and without thinking, placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Sam sighed gently and stirred in her sleep. Kai quickly pulled away and left the room, unable to explain what had possessed him to kiss her just then.


	23. Something To Prove

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 23 – Something to Prove!**

Sam awoke and looked about her. She was alone in her room and going by the light coming through her otherwise dark room, it was early morning. Slowly sitting up, Sam felt a pain flood through her mind, and gingerly brought her hand to her forehead, moaning softly. It was then that she saw the cuts and bruises on her arms and as she stood up, all the events of the day before rushed through her mind. Sam closed her eyes and sat back down on the edge of her bed.

Taking a few deep breaths, she pushed back the tears that were threatening to form and stood up. Swaying slightly, she walked over to her wardrobe and pulled on a pair of ankle-length jeans and a blue, long sleeve turtle neck shirt – trying to hide the bruises as much as possible. Looking in the mirror she saw that there were some bruises on her cheeks and jaw, a few small cuts, a large cut on her bottom lip and gash above her eyebrow. She also had the faint showings of a black eye.

Quickly brushing her hair, she took some concealer out of her make up bag and covered her face with it. She then added some non-stick red lipstick (lipstick that doesn't rub off) to cover over the cut on her lip and some dark blue eye shadow to make up for the black eye. Looking at herself in the mirror again she was much more satisfied with her appearance and went into the kitchen to have a cup of tea.

She saw Kai sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking tea. He didn't look up when she entered, so without saying anything she made herself a coffee and looked at the clock. It was six thirty. "We'll be late for training," she said, taking another sip of her tea. Kai glanced up at her in surprise. "What?" she asked, "you didn't think I'd let a little thing like yesterday keep me from blading?!" She laughed heartily, taking another sip of her tea. Kai didn't reply as he closed the paper, finishing off his tea and made his way to the sink. Quickly washing his cup, he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. Sam shook her head as she did the same.

Once everyone was downstairs, Sam couldn't help but notice the way the rest of her team – excluding Kai – kept staring at her, but whenever she met their eye they would look away suddenly. None of them asked her what had happened yesterday, something she was quite sure Kai was behind. Still the staring was beginning to make her self-conscious and it was affecting her blading. Kai noticed this too, but didn't say anything, knowing that Sam had to handle this herself.

After twenty minutes of blading, Sam felt eyes on her and glancing up she saw Max looking at her. He quickly looked away and Sam sighed. "Why is everyone staring at me?" she demanded, keeping her voice low. Max jumped in shock, as though forgetting she was capable of speech. "What?" he asked. Sam recalled her blade and folded her arms across her chest. "You heard me? Why are you all staring at me?" Max rubbed the back of his head and glanced nervously across at Kai. "Ignore Kai!" Sam snapped, "I want to know, what it is about me you are all finding so fascinating." Max swallowed as the rest of the team – except Kai who remained leaning against the wall – gathered around Max.

Sam looked at each one. "Well?"

"How did you get all those injuries?" Tyson suddenly blurted, then realised what he said and blushed. Sam smiled knowingly; she had been right in speculating that that was what was bothering them. She brought a hand to her face and gently touched the cut above her eye. "Is that all?" She asked offhandedly, and the boys nodded, all slightly embarrassed. Sam just shrugged. "Well I wish I could tell you," Sam said calmly, "but I can't. You're all just going to have to trust me when I say I'm fine now and stop staring at me." She smiled smugly. "I mean I know I'm gorgeous, but you guys just have to get over it!" All the boys laughed at this, Kai smiling slightly his face hidden from view by his hair.

Sam looked around. "Now, are any of you babies actually going to give me a challenge?" she demanded, loading her blade. Max laughed and stepped up to the dish, but a voice suddenly stopped him. "May I have the honour?" Everyone looked up to see who had spoken and were surprised to see the Jazon standing there, the rest of the Carnivora Catz standing about him. Sam glowered at him, baring her teeth. "What are you doing here Jazon?" she demanded. Jazon shrugged. "What's the matter Sam, aren't you happy to see me?" Sam just narrowed her eyes in reply. "Oh, come now. You're not scared are you?" Sam laughed harshly. "I've never been scared of you Jazon." There was no doubting the deeper meaning underlining her words.

Jazon smiled. "Then how about a battle?" Sam was about to accept when Kai spoke up. "No!" he snapped, pushing himself off the wall. Everyone looked at Kai in surprise. "Ah the heroic leader Kai," Jazon said, bowing mockingly in his direction. Kai didn't reply, but only stepped up beside Sam. Jazon smirked. "What's the matter Kai? Don't think Sam could handle it?"

"Not at all," Kai replied naturally, "I think Sam is more then capable at handling you, but that's not saying much." Jazon clenched his teeth at this statement, but Kai didn't give him the chance to speak. "This is our teams practice time, if you want to battle, save it for the championships."

"Your pathetic team needs all the practice they can get," Adonia called out from behind Jazon.

Kai didn't even glance at her, but kept his eye on Jazon. Adonia obviously didn't like being ignored. "What's wrong oh great leader? Scared we'll see just how pathetic your team is? You obviously need me to show you how to blade." With that she loaded her blade and launched it towards the dish. Without taking his eye off Jazon, Kai whipped out his blade and launcher and shot his blade at Adonia's. It hit the blade head on, knocking it back at her before returning to Kai's hand. "Perhaps you didn't hear me," Kai snapped, "this is our blading dish. If you want to battle, go find you're your own!"

Adonia gasped as she caught her blade. "Lucky shot," she spat then turned to the boys standing next to her. "Let's show him Bretz." Bretz nodded and pulled out his blade and launcher. Loading his blade he and Adonia launched their blades together. Kai raised an eyebrow launching his blade again and hitting Adonia's back before rebounding off hers and hitting Bretz's then returning to his hand. The two teens stared at him in shock. "Enough!" Jazon snapped, causing them to jump. "We're wasting time. I came here to battle Sam, not you!" He glared at Kai.

Sam glanced between Kai and Jazon then looked at Kai waiting for his decision. He looked at her from under his hair and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Sam tilted her head to one side, hiding her face from Jazon and smiled nastily at Kai. Kai smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Stepping back, Sam looked at Jazon. "You're on!" Jazon loaded his blade as he stepped up to the dish. Both teams gathered around the dish in anticipation. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"

Both blades hit the dish and immediately went for each other. Kai looked at the Jazon's white and gold blade with interest, wondering what kind of bitbeast it concealed. Kai heard a noise beside him and out of the corner of his eye he saw Kenny working overtime on his laptop. Kai turned back to the battle and watched the two blade collides and rebound off each other, Jazon's blade seeming to have a the upper hand. Sam was not easily fazed and rammed his again, sending his blade skidding back a little. "Is this all you've got?" Jazon demanded. Sam smirked. "You should know Jazon." Sam replied. "Besides, where's the fun in ruining all the surprise?"

Jazon shook his head. "You're right Sam, I do know you. Which is why I know you won't be able to handle this! Crazema use Lightening Crash now!" A golden light started to sweep around his blade, lightening flashing from within it. Sam smiled. "On the other hand Jazon, I am very ready for it. You see there are some things you don't know about me. Like that I am a lot stronger then I was the last time we met. Let's show him what we got Drazema! Attack now!"

Jazon looked a little shocked; this was not what he had expected. He had expected Sam to counter it with a strong attack, not just go for his blade. As he watched Sam's blade started attacking his from every angle too fast for him to see it. His attack was growing but suddenly his blade started to wobble and the attack stopped. The Carnivora Catz all gasped whilst the Bladebreakers cheered. "You see Jazon," Sam said conversationally, "I know you. I know where your blade is vulnerable and I know when and how to get you." Suddenly Sam hit his blade and it was thrown from the dish. Jazon caught it and looked at her in shock.

She had never bladed like that before! None of the Carnivora Catz could believe it, except Garnet, who cheered along with the Bladebreakers, earning her dirty looks from her team. Sam recalled her blade and smiled at Jazon. "I thought you would have learnt by now not to underestimate me Jazon, but obviously I was mistaken." She stared to walk away but Jazon had more to say. "The battle isn't over yet Sam!" he called harshly. Sam looked over her shoulder. "I see no point in humiliating you further. I'll see you at the championships Jazon, and this time, make sure you are prepared to give me a challenge!"

Jazon glowered at Sam before turning on his heel and storming from the room. Sam watched him go before leaning against the wall and letting out her breath and inhaling deeply. "You ok Sam?" Max asked. Sam smiled.

"Made it look easy didn't I?" Max laughed and nodded. "So it wasn't?" Sam shook her head and leant further against the wall. Kai watched her from a distance and smiled. She was definitely a better blader then he thought.


	24. A New Trick

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 24 – A New Trick!**

The next three weeks were spent practicing battling as a team. Although this may have sounded simple, Sam soon found out it was anything but. Trying to get the blades to stop attacking each other turned out to be a very difficult and exhausting task. According to Dizzi, it had something to do with the bitbeast's nature, being so used to attacking one another in battle. But knowing that other bladers had done it meant that while it was difficult it was not impossible and so they spent every minute in practise.

To Sam's great relief, at the end of the fourth week, they were making progress and Sam was able to blade safely beside Max, Ray and Tyson. She seemed to be having a lot of difficult with Kai though. Probably because she always got ticked off at him and her blade would respond to her anger by attacking his blade. She soon managed to get her anger under control and she was able to blade along side Kai soon enough.

Still these practice sessions left her exhausted and completely drained of energy. With only a little over three weeks left until the championships, Sam knew she had to strengthen up or she would be in no shape to compete. Sam decided she needed to start toughening up and so would continue practicing well into the night and go for a run with Max in the mornings.

Although he didn't say anything, Kai was starting to worry that she was making herself worse. He saw her growing increasingly lethargic, and this only made him anxious. However, it wasn't until that morning that he realised there was actually something wrong. It was now exactly three weeks until the championships. Kai was satisfied he and his team were ready for anything, mostly thanks to Sam's help with the training.

It was only five o'clock in the morning but Kai couldn't sleep. He had awoken ten minutes ago and was now lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking. So many thoughts ran through his head but they always returned to the one person. Sam. She wasn't like any girl he had ever known. She was a lot stronger then any girl he had ever met too. Kai rubbed his hand across his jaw subconsciously, remembering how Sam had hit him that day. He was still thinking about that when he heard someone moving around.

Narrowing his eyes in curiosity, he slowly got to his feet and walked over to his door. Opening it just a crack he saw that a light had been turned on in the bathroom but the door was ajar. Glancing across he saw that Sam's door was open. Kai suddenly became aware of a sound coming from the bathroom. The sound of someone throwing up. A second later the sound stopped. The toilet was flushed and Sam came out a moment later wiping her mouth. She didn't even look his way as she switched off the light and went back to her room.

Kai closed the door and stood there for moment thinking. Sam was definitely sick but she seemed determined to continue training. Realising there was nothing he could do, Kai went back to his bed and sat there, until the clock read five forty eight. He then quickly got dressed and headed into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. Sam joined him a moment later. Acting as thought everything was normal. Kai didn't ask any questions. He just hoped this sickness wouldn't last long. The last thing he needed was to have to bench Sam for the championships.

Kai mentally decided to keep a close eye on her, to make sure she got over this flu before the championships. If that was what it was.

Sam leant back against the wall and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe how tired she felt and hungry. Her exhaustion wasn't as bad as it had been, but she still felt tired. As for the hunger? Her appetite seemed to be growing and at the moment she felt like she hadn't eaten in days, instead of hours. Reaching for her backpack, she pulled out an apple and took a bite, placing her hand on her stomach as she ate, her eyes focused on the battle at hand.

Kai and Ray were taking on Max and Tyson. As Sam watched Kai and Ray went to knock Tyson out, but hadn't watched Max, who now ran into Ray, sending him into Kai, knocking him off balance. Then Tyson went for Kai and Max for Ray. Draciel managed to knock Driger out of the dish by Dranzer held firm against Dragoon. However, with Driger out of the way, Draciel and Dragoon teamed up and Dranzer was thrown from the dish. Sam shook her head and took another bite of her apple. Kai looked up in time to see her disapproval and narrowed his eyes. "Think you can do better?" he demanded.

Sam nodded, a smug smile on her mouth. "Much." Kai indicated to the dish in a 'take-your-best-shot' gesture and Sam shrugged. Finishing off her apple she took Ray's spot and launched her blade along side Kai's. Dranzer went straight for Dragoon, Sam a few seconds behind, but she kept her eyes on Draciel. As Kai was about to attack Dragoon she saw Draciel swing around to take on Kai, but she decided she'd step in.

As Dranzer headed for Dragoon, Drazema swung back, slamming into Draciel, knocking it away from Dranzer, before rebounding and ramming into Dragoon with Dranzer. Dragoon, not expecting the assault of two blades, was thrown from the dish followed soon by Draciel after a powerful blow from Dranzer. Sam recalled her blade and smiled. "That's how it's done!" Tyson stared at his blade in shock; unable to believe how quickly Sam's blade had manoeuvred itself to take out both his blade _and _Max's.

Max picked up his blade and smiled at Sam. "That was so cool!" he exclaimed, "But how did you know to get Draciel?" Sam looked down at her blade. "I didn't. But Drazema did." She put her blade back into her pocket and smiled at Max, who was looking at her a little confused. Sam laughed at his expression. "Let's just say she has a sixth sense for when to make her move…besides," she turned serious, "you all seem to think that team battle means mimicking every move your partner makes, but it doesn't." She looked around her team. "It means complementing your partner, helping them in any way to stay in the match. Let me show you something else. Max? Ray? Launch your blades into the dish." Sam launched her blade and waited for the boys to comply.

The two boys did as they were told and Sam did the same. (Before anyone comments, this is actually a move Ray does in the episodes but it's so cool, I have to use it!) "Now Ray, attack Draciel full force." Both boys looked at her in surprise. "But that'll knock Draciel out?" Sam nodded.

"Exactly, just trust me." Ray shrugged and did as he was told.

There was a crash as Draciel and Driger collided then Draciel flew up the side, out of the dish and into the air. Before anyone could blink, Drazema was up the side of the dish and heading straight at Draciel, hitting him in mid air and sending both their blades back into the dish, still spinning. Ray and Max looked at their blades in shock as Sam recalled hers. "That's a move you can all learn and use in the championships if your partner's blade gets knocked out of the dish unexpectedly." Max and Ray nodded as Tyson stepped up to the dish. "Give us ago!"

All three boys launched their blades again but as Dragoon went to knock Draciel back into the dish he missed and they both fell out of the dish. Sam chuckled. "It takes practice and timing," Sam explained as the boys tried it again. This time Tyson only nicked Max's blade, sending Max's back into the dish but his out. "Just don't give up," Sam reassured them before going back to the wall. Reaching into her bag she pulled out another apple and chewed it thoughtfully. She was suddenly feeling slightly dizzy.

Looking at her watch she saw it was six thirty at night, meaning they had a few more hours of training to go. Sam noticed Kai over by the cones and went to join him when she was over come by a wave of dizziness. Placing a hand to her head, she leant back against the wall. Max looked up from the battle and noticed Sam was looking a little pale. "You ok Sam?" he asked, his eyes focused on her. Sam shook her head, feeling a sudden headache growing. "I can't breathe," she whispered. The rest of her team were looking at her now. "What's wrong Sam?" Ray asked.

"I can't breathe," Sam said louder.

Just then a ding sounded behind her and the doors to the elevator slid open. Without thinking Sam ran to the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. She needed air and she needed it now! The minute she reached the lobby Sam ran out to the main streets and took a deep breath. She noticed it was growing dim as the sun set and walked along the street, enjoying the breeze and letting her thoughts flow.

'I hope I'm not getting sick,' she thought, 'that's the last thing I need with the championships so close.' Sam thought about the championships for a while. She knew they were growing closer and that there would be a lot of tough bladers there. She only hoped she'd be strong enough to face them, especially her old team. Sam thought about this for a while as she continued walking, unaware of where she was going.

It wasn't until she couldn't see her feet in front of her that she realised she had been walking for nearly an hour. Quickly turning around, she headed back towards the hotel and a brisk walk. The last thing she wanted was to be out on the streets alone. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped. Sam cursed herself for not bringing a jumper. Wrapping her arms about her and felt a wet drop on her arm. Looking down she noticed the foot walk turning darker as drops of water splashed against it and realised it was beginning to rain.

Sam broke into a jog as the rain started to fall faster and harder, hitting her bare flesh like sharp, cold pin pricks. She was listening to the sound of the rain and suddenly became aware of something falling much heavier behind her. Something that sounded a lot like footsteps! Sam quickened her pace and heard the pace behind her pick up too. Glancing over her should she saw someone behind her running towards her. After a moment Sam noticed another person joining the first and as they passed under a street light Sam recognised them. They were two boys she would…could never forget. They were two of the boys who had made her life at Bivolt a living hell! And now they were after her.

Turning back around, Sam broke into a run and headed for the hotel, praying they wouldn't reach her!

Kai glanced at his watch and back outside. It was now dark and the rain was falling heavier. They had finished blading twenty minutes ago and Kai had expected Sam back ages ago. He knew she was ill and being out in the cold was the last thing she needed. Kai paced the floor as he waited for his dinner to arrive. He had ordered two pizzas from room service for him and Sam ten minutes ago and they still hadn't arrived.

Just as he was about to ring up and demand they hurry up a knock sounded at the door. Kai walked over to the door and saw a girl standing there, two cardboard boxes in her hand. Kai took them off her, thanking her gruffly as he gave her a tip. Shutting the door, he felt himself feeling disappointed that it hadn't been Sam.

Shaking his head, he looked at the pizzas and realised they both had onions on them. Remembering Sam's dislike for onions, Kai rang up room service again and ordered another pizza, this time without onions. Finished with that, he placed the pizzas in the oven to keep them warm until Sam arrived before heading for the shower. He knew it would do him no good to pace the room all night. As he shut the door to the shower, he only hoped Sam would be back before he got out.

Five minutes later he heard a bang on the door. Turning off the shower, he quickly dried, and was getting dressed when the person banged on the door again, more insistent this time. Fed up with this room service, Kai didn't bother putting on his shirt, but stormed to the door, where the person was insistently banging, ready to give that person a piece of his mind.

Swinging open the door angrily, Kai was about to yell at them, when they ducked inside and slammed the door shut. Kai took a step back in surprise and noticed a very wet looking girl leaning against the door. "Sam? What the hell?"


	25. New Emotions

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 25 – New Emotions!**

Sam ran towards the hotel as fast as she could. She could hear feet pounding behind her and only prayed she would make it. She couldn't believe the streets were so empty. Usually they were busy and overflowing, but as it was raining, Sam decided everyone was getting sleep. 'Which is where I should be,' she chided herself. She could feel her body wearing down and the cold was making her sleepy. All she wanted to do was lay down where she was and fall asleep, but the sounds behind her kept her running and when the hotel finally came into view she almost shouted with relief. Putting on an extra spurt of speed, she crossed the road, which led to the hotel and heard the feet behind her stop.

Her victory was short lived however, when she heard the sound of an engine gun followed by the sound of skidding tires and the next thing she knew her world was completely illuminated by a blinding light as the car came speeding towards her. Sam made a dash for the hotel but the car stopped right in front of her, cutting off her access. Sam knew they expected her to stop, but Sam did the exact opposite. Without missing a beat she ran straight at the car, skidded across the bonnet and half ran, half skidded into the hotel's lobby.

The man at the reception desk chided her on her entry, explaining that this was a hotel, not a playground and that she had to walk. Sam murmured her apologies as she heard the car pull away. Letting out a breath of relief she quickly walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. As she waited, she glanced around the lobby and that's when she noticed him. He was strolling purposely across the lobby towards her. Looking down at her blade she saw it glowing slightly and immediately knew he was from Bivolt. She pressed the button for the elevator again. "Come on…Come on." The guy at the reception desk, inquiring about whether or not he had a room, had stopped the boy. Momentarily distracted, Sam gave up on the elevator and took the opportunity to run towards the stairs. Reaching them she began to run up them as fast as her tired body could. She heard the receptionist downstairs yell out not to run in a hotel, followed by the sound of feet pounding up the stairs after her.

Sam didn't look back. Instead, the moment she reached the second floor, she ran down the hallway to her room and began banging on the door. "Oh God, Kai please be there," she prayed under her breath, continuing to bang. Glancing over her shoulder she saw a shadow on the stairs and knew the boy had reached the top. She banged even harder on the door and to her relief this time it opened. "Sam? What the hell?!"

Without bothering to look at Kai, who had just opened the door, she pushed her way inside before slamming the door shut, doing up the security chain just for good measure and leaning against it, breathing heavily. She waited a moment but she didn't hear any footsteps approaching and knew she had only just escaped.

She suddenly became aware of someone staring at her and looking up she saw Kai standing there in only a pair of black, denim pants and a towel in his hand. His hair was dripping slightly and Sam realised she had just gotten him out of the shower. "Are you ok Sam?" Kai asked. Sam nodded and wrapped her arms about herself to stop herself from shaking – partially from the cold and partially from the scare.

Kai, noticing her shivering, immediately threw his towel around her. "Your soaking wet!" he exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you?" he demanded, but by now Sam's teeth were chattering so much she could hardly talk. She had been so scared she hadn't realised just how cold she was. "Ssooo…cccolllddd." was all she said. Kai instinctively put his arms around her, pulling her up against him and using his body heat to warm her up. He tried to ignore how cold her skin felt against his and had to resist the urge to pull away. "Wwwhaaattt aaarrreee yyoouuu ddooiinngg?" Sam said between chattering teeth. "If you heat up too quickly your heart will stop," Kai explained. "So I'm using my body heat to warm you up gradually."

Kai saw Sam look up at him, a surprised expression on her face and a slight pink stain on her pale cheeks. Kai smirked. She looked so innocent…so… well….adorable standing there at that moment, that Kai felt himself being drawn to her. Without thinking he lent down and pressed his lips against her. Sam's eyes widened in shock. This was definitely not the Kai she knew. Still, Sam didn't draw away, instead, she stood there and after a couple of minutes her teeth stopped chattering and her face regained some colour. Kai pulled away and looked down at her. "You should be right to go and get changed now," he said, stepping back. "Thank you," Sam said normally, still shaking a little from the cold. She quickly made her way over to her bedroom and closed the door. A few minutes later she returned wearing jeans, socks and her jumper over a black shirt. All the while wondering if the kiss from Kai had been an actual kiss or just a way of warming her up.

She decided to find out. Leaving the room, she noticed the dining room empty. Walking towards the lounge room she found Kai in the entertainment room standing in front of the heater. Walking over to him, she stopped beside him and instinctively put her cold hands out to warm them. They were so numb, she couldn't feel the heat. Moving her hands closer still, she heard Kai warning her to be careful and a second later found out why as her hand brushed against the metal cage, which surrounded the heater.

Gasping in pain as the metal burned her hand; she quickly pulled away and clung to her now burnt hand. "I felt that!" she cried angrily. To her surprise she heard Kai chuckling beside her. A second later Kai took her hand away from her burnt one and pulled it towards him. Examining it for a moment he ran his finger gently over the small welts forming on her hand. Sam winced at the pain that spread up her hand. Kai glanced up at her before leaving the room.

He returned a second later with a first aid kit in his hand. Going over to Sam, he grabbed her wrist and directed her to a sofa. Sitting on it so they were both facing each other, he opened the first aid kit and took out some cream. He then took Sam's burnt hand, but she withdrew it. "Don't!" she cried. Kai blinked and looked up at her. "What?"

"Don't put that stuff on me." Kai looked down at the anti-burn cream in confusion. "Why?"

"Cause it'll hurt." Sam explained. Kai laughed.

"Not as much as it hurts now."

"Yes it will!" Sam cried, looking away. Kai couldn't believe it. She sounded it like a three-year-old about to get a needle.

Kai put a hand on her shoulder. Sam looked up at him and Kai held her gaze. "It won't," he said solemnly, "I promise." Sam stared at him for a moment before slowly extending her hand. Kai took it in his and carefully applied the cream and rubbed it over her hand. Sam watched him with interest, completely forgetting the pain in her hand. Once the cream had been applied Kai pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around her hand, careful not to wrap it too tight. Once he was done, he kissed her hand unthinkingly and smiled at her. "There," he said, "That wasn't so bad now was it?" Sam shook her head, blushing slightly. "No, thank-you." Kai looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "For what?"

Sam smiled. "For caring." Kai looked away but Sam put her free hand on his cheek and made him look at her. "You do care about me. Don't you?" Kai, unused to showing his emotions, stood up, but Sam grabbed his wrist. "Don't walk away from me Kai!" she growled, "I don't care what you think. To me emotions are not a weakness, so you don't have to hide them from me."

Kai looked at the ground unable to look Sam in the eye. Sam rose to her feet and stood in front of him. Biting her lip, she did the only thing she could think of to do. She put her finger under Kai's chin and made him look at her, then she brushed her lips against his. She waited for Kai to return the kiss, but he didn't. Instead he pulled away. Sam took a step back, glaring angrily at him, her cheeks flaring with embarrassment and hurt. "Fine!" she spat. "Be like that!" She stormed past him.

Just as she was about to leave the room however, Kai seemed to make a decision. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against him. Placing one hand behind her head he quickly pressed his lips against hers before she could speak. Sam smiled against his kiss, before closing her eyes and returning it. A second later Kai pulled away and took a step back. A moment of awkward silence fell in the room. Sam decided to break it. "There," she said, mimicking the words he had said to her earlier, "that wasn't so bad now was it." Kai smiled at her. "No," he replied, "actually it was kind of nice." Sam felt her cheeks brighten at his words.

Kai stepped back up to her and slid his hand around her back. "In fact…I wouldn't mind trying it again." Sam smiled up at him as he inched his face closer to hers. Drawing her towards him, he pressed his lips gently against hers as he pulled her closely against him. On impulse Sam ran her hands up slowly over Kai's bare chest and wrapped them around his neck, drawing him closer to her still.

After a moment, she felt the tip of Kai's tongue pressing against her lips and instantly parted them. Sam shuddered with pleasure at the feeling of his tongue sliding into her mouth. She had no idea Kai could kiss like this! Kai suddenly took a step back, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. She could feel herself being pushed down onto the soft cushion as Kai pressed his body up against hers. Suddenly Sam's memory returned to what had happened only a few weeks ago and despite the feelings she had for Kai, she couldn't help but tremble in fear at his gentle touch as his hands slid down her side and onto her hips. In her mind he was no longer Kai, but something much worst. With strength neither she nor Kai knew she possessed she pushed Kai away from her and heard a 'thump' as Kai hit the floor. Jumping to her feet, she looked down at Kai in fear as he looked up at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry," she murmured taking a step away from him as he stood up. "What's wrong?" he demanded, embarrassed at his actions, but trying to hide it behind his anger. Sam took another step back at the sound of his voice. "You…you touched me…like them!" Realisation suddenly hit him and Kai cursed under his breath. He had almost forgotten all about that. But Sam hadn't…couldn't. Kai took a step towards her. "Sam…I would never…" but Sam cut him off before he could finish. "I'm sorry Kai, but I can't. Not now." Tears were forming in her eyes. Kai didn't know what to say. Walking over to her, he held her in his arms as she cried. "I'm sorry Kai." Kai just held her. Just then a knock sounded at the door and they both came crashing back to reality. Kai glanced uneasily at Sam, before going to answer the door. The girl from room service was standing there with a large pizza, with no onions.

While he was gone Sam went to her room. Looking into a mirror, she wiped away her tears and tried to put her mind to something else. But she couldn't get her mind off Kai and she started to wonder if this was going to change anything between them, or if it would all just be forgotten. To add to her confusion, Sam found that both thoughts tormented her…in fact…either thought scared her more then she could say.


	26. Secrets!

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 26 – Secrets!**

Sam heard Kai moving around in the kitchen and knew she would have to face him sooner or later. She, personally, would have preferred the later but she knew that wasn't really an option. Taking one final look at herself in the mirror, she was relieved to see that her face was no longer red and her eyes were not puffy in the slightest. Putting on a smile, she stepped out of her room.

The moment she entered the kitchen, she saw Kai at the table eating a large pizza. Without even looking at her, he indicated to the oven. "Pizza – no onions – in there." Sam murmured a 'thank-you' before heading over to the oven and grabbing her pizza. Taking a seat opposite Kai she took a slice of pizza and bit into it, not realising how hungry she really was.

She was so wrapped up in her pizza, it took her a few minutes before she realised that Kai was looking at her. "Hungry?" He said casually, once Sam had looked up at him. Sam blushed slightly, nodding her head as she swallowed the mouthful of pizza. She waited for Kai to say something else but he only stared at her. "Well?" she said at last. "Well what?" Kai replied, not taking his eyes of her. "Well, are you going to tell me why you keep staring at me?" Kai smiled smugly and shook his head, his eyes not leaving hers. Sam glared at him from across the table. She felt a blush coming to her cheeks as she thought about the next question she wanted to ask.

Withholding it with difficulty, she forced herself not to look away as she voice what was on her mind. "Listen, Kai. About before…" She paused not knowing how to continue. Kai shrugged, keeping his eyes on hers. "What about it?" Sam couldn't take the feeling of his eyes on hers and had to look away, her cheeks going a light shade of crimson. "Was it real?"

"It wasn't a dream," Kai replied. Sam looked back at him, a confused look on her face.

It was then that she noticed the smirk on Kai's lips. "That's not what I meant!" she growled.

"Then what did you mean?" Kai asked innocently, knowing all to well what she meant, but enjoying the fact he was making her flustered. Sam was too busy trying to explain to notice this. "What I meant was, was it…do you…do we…you… ummm…" her brows knitted together as she tried to think of how to phrase it without sounding like a complete idiot.

Kai couldn't help the laugh that came from his mouth at the look of Sam, so concentrated on something so simple. "Do I have feelings for you?" he supplied. Sam's blush deepened as she nodded. Kai shrugged off handedly. "I thought that was obvious." Sam didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. Before she could decide, Kai broke her thoughts. "I mean, I thought it was obvious I felt that you are a real pain in the butt, know it all, busy body, who can never shut up and…" Sam throwing a crust at him, hitting him in the forehead, cut off his words.

Sam giggled at his expression as she tried to glare at him. "Conceited old bossy boots aren't you?!" Kai smiled as he took another bite of his pizza, his eyes going back to staring at Sam, who had gone back to her own pizza. She didn't say another word to him, lost in her thoughts. When she had finished eating, she murmured a good night before heading to her room. She had a lot to think about and needed some time on her own. Shutting the door, she laid on her bed, listening to the sound of Kai moving around, before going to bed himself. Once all was silent, the thoughts in Sam's mind kept her awake, and it was a couple of hours before she finally managed to fall asleep.

The next morning Kai woke up to the sound of someone running to the bathroom and knew Sam was being sick again. Looking at his watch, he saw it was only five thirty. Stifling a groan he pulled himself out of bed and slowly got dressed. He heard a door open and close and figured Sam had gone back to bed. But when he had finished getting dressed and went past her room, he saw that her door was open and her room empty.

Confused, he looked around the apartment but she wasn't there. "She's probably gone for a walk with Max or to start training early." He murmured to himself, a nag in the back of his mind telling him he was wrong. He pushed it aside as he made himself a tea and reheated some pizza for breakfast. He had only just started eating when there was a knock at the door. Rolling his eyes, he went to open it, pizza in hand.

Opening the door he saw Max standing there. "What?" he demanded, non-too politely.

"Hey Kai," Max greeted, not bothered by Kai's abrupt greeting. "Is Sam here? We were supposed to go walking about ten minutes ago." Kai shook his head. "No. She's probably training." Max smiled. "Probably, ok thanks Kai." Kai shut the door as Max walked off. Finishing his breakfast and tea, he quickly brushed his teeth before heading down to the training room.

He reached the elevator just as they were opening and a very anxious Max came running out, almost knocking him over. "Kai!" Max exclaimed, "I was just coming to see you. Sam wasn't in the training room." Kai shrugged.

"So?"

"So?!" Max cried in disbelief, "So! So where is she?" Kai shrugged.

"How should I know? I'm not her babysitter. I'm sure she'll be back in time for training where ever she's gone." Max visibly relaxed at his words and took the elevator down to the training room with Kai to practice.

At seven thirty everyone but Sam had arrived for practice and by ten everyone was starting to worry. At nine Kai had sent Max to ask at the reception desk if he had seen Sam go and the man had replied that she had asked him to call a taxi for her. Kai had been a little confused by this but had figured she'd be back by now.

Every time the elevator dinged, ten eyes would turn to the doors hoping to see Sam there. And at long last, at twenty past ten the doors opened to reveal a very confused looking Sam. She walked over to the group, seemingly unaware of anyone or anything around her. She reached the group and came back to reality. Smiling at them, she pushed aside whatever it was she had been thinking about. "Where have you been?" Kai demanded, the first to speak, "practice started two hours ago!" Sam looked at him and at her watch. "An hour and fifty-three minutes actually," she replied.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "My point is you're late!" he growled, "now where have you been?" Sam shrugged. "What's it to you? I'm here now aren't I? So let's get on with training." With that she walked up to the dish and launched her blade. Ray, Max and Tyson joined her a few minutes later and together they practiced their team battling skills.

Sam refused to answer any questions about her whereabouts during practice and even when Kai confronted her that evening; she kept her mouth shut in defiance. Some things were best kept secret and Sam had decided that this was definitely one of those things!


	27. The Championships Arrive!

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 27 – The Championships Arrive!**

(By the way- the reason the preliminary rounds are not listed in this story, as I can't be bothered typing out endless battles and we all know that the Bladebreakers will have gotten in. I will quickly list the other teams which will be in the championship: Bladebreakers, Carnivora Catz, White Tigers, and the Blade Sharks. Ok, sorry to slow you up. ON WITH THE READING!!!!)

The next few weeks passed uneventful, except for Sam's continuous sickness every day, which she managed to hide very well from the rest of her team and tried to insure it didn't affect her blading. This caused her to become very tired and she would go to bed straight after training and sleep straight through the night, waking up at around five-thirty every morning.

Kai was concerned, but as it wasn't affecting her blading, he couldn't really say anything to her. So after a few weeks, the championships arrived and the Bladebreakers were all up and ready by seven (yes even Tyson!!!!) to insure that they were at the stadium by eight thirty. Taking a taxi, they arrived at the stadium, registered and were assigned a room.

Once they were all settled in, they had half an hour before the list of who would be going against who would be announced. In that time they had to get changed and get their blades analysed to be sure they were within company standard. This was done within twenty minutes, and they were left standing in their room waiting for the list to be announced.

Each was wearing their traditional blading uniform, Sam's consisting of the red chinese-style top and black pants Kai had seen her in when they had first met. Sam was sitting against a wall with Max eating an apple and talking. Tyson was talking to Kenny about improvements he had made to their blades a night before and Ray was doing some yoga type thing in a corner. Kai himself was lying on the bench, looking up at the ceiling and waiting impatiently for the championships to start.

They had gotten through the preliminary rounds quite easily. Their most challenging battles had been against the Saint Shield, All Starz and White Tigers. They had managed to pull though however, and now only the Carnivora Catz, Blade Sharks and White Tigers remained.

They had all watched every game that the Carnivora Catz and the Blade Sharks played, trying to learn their strategies. The Blade Sharks were fairly easy to follow, and when the time came Kai was confident they wouldn't have any trouble, so long as Sam didn't allow emotions to take control of her. As for the Carnivora Catz, they were a tough team and had so many different strategies, that Kai wasn't so sure they would be as easy to beat.

Now they were waiting to see whom they would be going against today. After a very long a boring ten minutes the BBA news started and the bladebreakers stopped what they were doing and gathered around the large TV in the room. After the normal introductions, Mr Dickenson came on the screen. "Good morning all viewers and welcome to the semi-finals for this years Championships. We have seen some excellent blading these past few days. All those that have competed have shown tremendous skill and fairness. But we are now down to the last six bladers and it is becoming very intense. However, I am sure you are all anxious to know the line-ups for today's battles so I won't waste any time with needless talking. I will simply explain that the following list was created by a computer system which choses each team at random and the order they are placed in."

A large table suddenly appeared on the screen and six pairs of eyes eagerly scanned it. The pairings are as follows: The White Tigers vs. The Carnivora Catz and The Bladebreakers vs. The Blade Sharks. Sam shuddered. Voltaire's team! This was definitely something she'd been dreading. She felt her stomach churn and placed a hand over it. She felt Kai's eyes on her. Glancing up she forced a smile, but there was no mistaking the anger in Kai's eyes and she knew that this battle was going to be personal!

But it wasn't just this battle that concerned Sam; she was also interested in the battle between her old team and the White Tigers, though she was quite sure she knew the outcome. As they were the last to compete, they were able to watch the other battle. The moment that this battle between the White Tigers and the Carnivora Catz was announced the Bladebreakers were in the stands, Sam on the edge of her seat.

Sam watched as two boys, one short with green hair and the other, large with black hair, walked confidently up to the dish followed by Rayley and Bretz from the other side. DJ Jazzman started the announcements. "Welcome back to the Germany Championships! From the White Tigers we have Gary and Kevin and from the Carnivora Catz we have Rayley and Bretz! This is going to be one intense battle. Are both sides ready?" The four teens nodded and aimed their blades. "Ok then…3…2…1…LET IT RIP!!!!!!" All four blades hit the dish and began circling, spinning at opposite ends. Sam's eyes flickered from one team to the other, her emotions conflicting as to which team she wanted to win.

"Enough running," the boy called Kevin yelled suddenly, "Galmon get them! Crazy Monkey Attack!" A blinding light erupted from Kevin's blade and a White monkey suddenly appeared, howling threateningly as it obeyed it's masters command.

"Gary help too," the other boy said, "Galzzy, combine attack with Galmon!" A light came from the red blade as a blue bear appeared, growling so loudly it could be felt vibrating off the walls. With both bitbeasts out, the boy's blades suddenly headed straight for Rayley's orange blade and Bretz's brown blade.

"No!" Sam cried to herself. Kai, who was seated beside her, looked at her in surprise. "That's just what they want!" Sam said harshly, still to herself. Kai turned his eyes back to the battle and sure enough, Rayley and Bretz were smiling smugly.

"Latema!" Rayley yelled, "Shredded Swipe now!" A blinding flash followed by a loud roar came from her blade as an brown leopard with orange spots leapt towards the oncoming blades, with such agility it was barely seen.

"Asyema!" Bretz yelled, "Swift Saber Strike!" A pink cheetah with brown spots exploded from his blade and went immediately for the other blades with a blood-curdling growl. Sam jumped to her feet to get a better view of the battle and didn't flinch as they collided with a deafening clash and brilliant array of light.

As the dust cleared, two blades were seen spinning in the dish, an orange and a brown blade. The other two blades were lying in the dish. Sam sat back down in her seat as DJ Jazzman announced that the Carnivora Catz had one the first round. She watched Bretz and Rayley recall their blades and head back to their team, whilst Gary and Kevin grabbed their blades and walked dejectedly back to their seats. Sam turned her attention back to the dish, waiting for the next battle. If the Carnivora Catz won this they would go into the finals.

DJ Jazzman's voice suddenly came over the speakers. "And next we have Lee and Mariah from the White Tigers to go against Garnet and Adonia from the Carnivora Catz." This got Sam's attention. Garnet! She jumped to her feet again, sure there was some mistake. "Why is Jazon sitting this one out?" She demanded, "He's never let Garnet battle in competition before!" Kai could see the confusion on her face but said nothing as he watched the two girls walked up to the dish, there was no mistaking the nervousness in the younger girls face.

"Bladers are you ready?" All four bladers nodded. "Then, 3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" Four blades hit the dish and immediately went for each other. They all appeared to be of equal strength but only Sam knew of the power that Garnet and Adonia's blade held. There was silence in the crowd as they all watched in awe, wondering who would take the battle. Sam wondered how much longer her old team would wait before they made their move. It couldn't be much longer. Then Sam heard Jazon's voice. "Stop mucking around and finish it!" Adonia looked back over her shoulder at Jazon, "Just having a little fun!" She said with a smile. "Well enough already! It's growing tiresome!" Adonia shrugged and looked at Garnet, who was still looking nervous.

Sam knew why. Garnet had never bladed in competition before, let alone in team blading. But Sam had to admit she was doing great. For a little girl, she had a lot of strength and this was shown in the way her blade kept up the assault against the competition.

Sam found herself on her feet again as Garnet and Adonia commanded their blades to attack. "Nazema!" Adonia commanded her blade, "Acid Arch Attack!" A green tiger with black stripes appeared from her blade. A green ball of acid surrounding the blade. "Rubema!" Garnet cried, her voice shaking slightly, "Burning Blaze!" Sam watched a red and yellow lioness come from her blade with a roar of fury. A large fire suddenly began to sweep around it as it headed for the other two blades.

Lee and Mariah were right behind them.

"Galeon!" Lee yelled.

"Galux!" Mariah called.

"Combine attack and use SCRATCH ATTACK NOW!" Sam looked in wonder as the red cheetah and black lion came from the two blades and headed for the other blades. As Sam watched, the fire from Garnet's blade suddenly swirled around the ever-growing Acid ball on Adonia's blade and began to encircle it. Then all four blades disappeared from view as they collided with a flash of light and ear-splitting crash! Dust covered the dish, obscuring it from view for a few minutes. Sam held her breath along with everyone else as they waited for the dust to clear…


	28. Taking Control

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 28 – Taking Control!**

As the dust cleared, the dish slowly became visible, revealing only one blade remained spinning, the other three all lying defeated. To Sam's surprise it was a small red blade…Garnet's blade that was still spinning. "That was amazing!" DJ Jazzman yelled, "After that intense battle the Carnivora Catz take the battle and will now advance to the Finals!" Garnet seemed too surprised that her blade was spinning to comment, but after the initial shock, gave a cry of delight! "We won!" She jumped up and down and hugged Adonia who pushed her aside and grabbed her own blade. Garnet looked hurt, all cheer gone, as she recalled her blade.

Sam felt sorry for her, so she did the only thing she could. Jumping onto her seat, she cupped her hands over her mouth a shouted Garnet's name as loud as she could, causing her team to jump in surprise. Garnet didn't seem to hear her over the cheers of the crowd. "GARNET!!!" She yelled again, even louder. This time Garnet looked around, unsure of where it was coming from. Sam yelled again and this time Garnets eyes fell on her. Sam waved her arms and Garnet smiled at seeing her old friend as she waved back.

Sam jumped down from her chair and ran down the stadium towards Garnet, followed closely by her team. She jumped over the railing onto the ground and ran up to Garnet, wrapping her arms around her. "You were AWESOME!" she squealed, hugging Garnet close. "Really?" Garnet asked. Sam put her down and nodded. "Don't worry about what anyone says, you're a top blader!" Garnet smiled happily, a blush staining her cheeks. "Thanks Sam," she mumbled. Sam ruffled Garnet's hair as her team suddenly joined her.

Sam stood up. "I'll see you in the Championships, K?" Garnet nodded and ran back to her team as Sam followed her team back to their room. They had an hour before their battle and Sam spent this time leaning against the wall, arms folded, eyes closed, meditating and getting her mind prepared for battle. It was time she taught Voltaire and his team a lesson and she was determined to defeat them. She would show no mercy!

Despite trying to act confident, Sam was still nervous and hour later as they headed towards the stadium. She was walking behind everyone else, Kai walking beside her. She felt his hand slide into hers and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. Sam looked up at him in surprise but he only smiled at her briefly, before releasing her hand and walking on. Sam felt a warm glow inside her. Kai was with her. Just knowing that would be enough to get her through.

As Sam walked into the stadium she looked around. The stands were full of cheering fans and she felt her heart lighten. She was competing again. She had missed it dearly and she wasn't going to let a little thing like Voltaire stop her. With this knew confidence she walked to their bench and sat down. It had been decided that Tyson and Ray would battle first. As these two walked up to the stand Sam watched as Casey and Stewart from the Blade Sharks took their stand.

Sam closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind. She heard the count down and blades launched but kept her eyes firmly shut. She let her mind wander to a place where she felt calm and safe. Her home. She thought about her Grandfather and what he was doing right now. He had called a week ago to wish her luck and that he'd be watching her on the T.V, but that he was getting too old to fly now. Sam had managed to control her disappointment and said she understood. But the truth was she missed her Grandfather terribly.

Sam was still thinking about her Grandfather when she heard a cheer go up through the crowd. Opening an eye she saw Tyson and Ray walk happily back to their seats. They had won their match! It was now down to her and Kai. Sam only hoped she had what it took to take control. She heard her name being announced over the PA and stood nervously, an uneasy feeling in her gut as she pulled out her blade. She ran her thumb over the top and it glowed warmly in response. Drazema was with her and that brought her comfort.

She noticed Kai was walking up to the dish and quickly followed him. As they walked up to the dish Kai glanced at her. "You ready for this?" Sam nodded determinedly, despite what she felt inside and Kai nodded. Together they loaded their blades and aimed them at the dish. Sam watched the other two teens opposite them do the same.

The two boys where Trevor and Carlos who she new very well from Bivolt. They weren't the ones who had raped her, but they had still made her life hard and she was determined to pay them back for it. Sam suddenly became aware of DJ Jazzman counting them in. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP" Sam pulled on the ripcord full force and both her and Kai's blades hit the dish at the same time. Trevor and Carlos wasted no time in heading for Sam and Kai's blades, but Sam and Kai had a strategy and she planned to stick to it.

As she allowed her blade to get attacked, she waited for Kai to give the signal. "By the way Sam," Trevor suddenly yelled over at her. Sam looked up, her mental focus still on her blade. Her eyes locked with his and there was no mistaking the cruelness in them or the hatred in the smile on his face. "My friends wish me to thank you for the 'fun' time he had the other week." Sam forced herself not to shudder as the words sunk in. Beside her she felt Kai's body tense, his hands forming into fists. "In fact," Trevor continued, enjoying getting to her as his blade relentlessly hitting hers, "my friends would like to make another date. How does next weekend suit you?"

This time Sam gasped and couldn't keep the shudder that ran down her body as she temporarily lost control. The memories filled her mind of what had only just happened to her and she felt a tear fall down her cheek and she fell to her knees. She felt sick. Kai was beside her in a second and placed a hand on her shoulder. But Sam couldn't bring herself to look at him or to shake the hollow feeling within her.

Unfortunately, this affected her blade and it wavered slightly. While she was temporarily distracted Trevor rammed her blade full force sending it towards the edge of the dish. "Looks like you lost again Sam!" he teased, laughing harshly, "I guess you're weak after all." He added as Sam's blade headed up the side of the dish at a rapid pace and towards the rim.

In that split second something inside Sam snapped. Leaping to her feet she glared at Trevor in defiance. "I'll show you who's weak!" She screamed, "Drazema, hard left now!" Her blade responded immediately and started circling the rim. The crowd gasped in awe at the sight of a blade with so much balance and control. But Sam ignored them. She would show them she was not one to loose control of a battle. Looking at Kai she smiled wickedly "Sorry Kai, but I can't wait any longer." Kai shrugged and nodded. Sam's smile widened. "Drazema!" She yelled. "Let's get 'em NOW" Drazema obeyed her master and flew back down the dish, back at Trevor's blade. Sam watched the smile die on Trevor's lips.

"Tell your friends to go to hell! In fact, allow me to send you there!" She looked at Kai and he nodded slightly. "Drazema Shadow Strike!' All four blades disappeared from view as Drazema circled around the dish at lightening speed, before she too disappeared. But the attack was not over! Now it was Kai's turn. "Dranzer team up with Drazema. Use Spin Fire and get them now!!" A red fiery light shot out of the darkness at one side of the dish, just as Drazema's silver light shot out at the other end. Together, the beams made their way, straight through the darkness towards Trevor and Carlos's blades. There was a sickening clash followed by a blinding explosion as all four blades hit. Sam covered her eyes from the light and when she opened them, she saw the dish was covered in dust.

As the dust slowly cleared, Sam smiled smugly. The dish was demolished and against the rubble laid the shattered remains of Carlos and Trevor's blades. As for her and Kai; their blades were spinning on top of a large piece of concrete. "What unbelievable power!" DJ Jazzman yelled. "Have you ever seen anything like it?! Trevor and Carlos's blades have been completely destroyed! Meaning that the Bladebreakers are the winners and shall advance to the finals to go against the Carnivora Catz!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Sam and Kai recalled their blades. As Sam turned to go she was sure she heard laughter. Cruel, mocking laughter. She instantly looked for the source and that's when she saw him. Amongst the crowd was none other then Voltaire. Sam stopped walking as their eyes met and Sam saw the smug smile on his face. Sam wished she could wipe it off.

Kai noticed she had stopped and now followed her eyes. Upon seeing his Grandfather he froze. Voltaire's eyes flicked over to him and he smiled evilly. Kai shook his head in disgust as he walked away. Sam followed him, scowling at Voltaire's back as he left the room. As Sam walked towards her team she felt a sickening feeling in her stomach as she realised the truth.

It wasn't over! She may have won the battle, but the war was still going. As she headed towards team, she felt someone wrap their arms around her and looking down she saw Tyson's smiling face. "Alright we won!" Sam joined in his laughter as her team surrounded her. As they headed out of the stadium she looked back over her shoulder, but Voltaire and his team had left.

Sam hoped it would be for forever, but she doubted Voltaire would give up so easily. Turning back to her team she turned her thoughts to what was yet to come. The final battle between her and her old team. Sam had taken control of this match, but could she do it again? "Only one way to find out," she murmured as she stepped out into the warm sunlight, more determined then ever to come out on top. She would do it. She had to.


	29. Showdown

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 29 – Showdown!**

Sam woke up to the usual feeling of sickness in her stomach and ran to the bathroom. She was half way there when she ran into Kai, who was just walking down the hallway. Kai reeled back but Sam didn't stop as she threw up into the toilet. Kai waited for her to come out. "You ok?" he asked as he did every morning. Sam nodded. "Fine," she lied rinsing her mouth out and going into the kitchen.

It was six o'clock; their battle was at nine. Three hours! Sam could feel herself growing nervous at the thought and quickly placed it in the back of her mind. Quickly eating a breakfast of a bowl of cereal and two pieces of toast, Sam brushed her teeth and went to get changed out of her pajamas. Quickly dressing into her usual uniform, she stepped out of her room to see Kai waiting for her.

He smiled at her. Sam could feel herself smiling back. Kai was so different when it was just the two of them. "Feel like getting some practice in?" he asked casually, smiling teasingly at her. Sam laughed and looked at him as though considering his offer. "Depends on what kind of practice you're talking about." She said, putting on a serious face and eyeing him challengingly.

They hadn't actually done anything serious, and Kai hadn't kissed her passionately since that night over a month ago. But every now and then he would give her a gentle kiss of affection that would send shivers down her spine. Sam focused back on Kai as she waited for his answer. Kai held up his hands as though in truce. "Ok, Ok." He replied. Sam held out her hand. "Shake on it," she replied. Kai eyed her hand for a moment, before extending his own.

As Sam clasped her own over it, he quickly pulled her against him, placing his other hand behind her back and kissing her quickly. Sam gave a cry of protest but laughed anyway. Kai smiled at his own wit, his hand still holding hers as they headed towards the door. Sam was still feeling a little woozy but being outside in the fresh air helped calm her nerves and she soon felt better. She and Kai spent the next hour and a half in practice and Sam found she was able to forget about what was about to come and just enjoy Kai's company.

However, all too soon, it was time to head back and get ready for the battle. They made their way to the hotel, Kai holding her hand until they reached the doors where they could be seen. Kai didn't want anyone to know about them and Sam didn't mind too much. She knew how Kai felt about her and that was all that mattered.

When they got back to the hotel, the rest of the team was just getting up and ready and an hour later they were at the stadium and back in their quarter. They had half an hour to prepare themselves and Sam was using this to her full advantage. She trained herself physically with a few warm up exercises for fifteen minutes. She then gave her blade a warm up and a few minor fix ups before spending the last twenty minutes preparing her mind and calming her nerves.

By the time their moment arrived to start the battle, Sam felt that she was ready. She sat on the bench waiting to be announced, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had to fight to keep her breathing steady as DJ Jazzman made the announcements. "Welcome back to the final battle in the Germany Championships. The last two teams remaining are the Bladebreakers and the Carnivora Catz, only one of which can take away the title. So let's get this show on the road!" The crowd went wild, as Max and Ray stood up. "From the Bladebreakers we have Max and Ray!" The crowd cheered. "And from the Carnivora Catz we have Bretz and Rayley." The crowd cheered even louder and Sam cringed against the noise.

Sam watched Max and Ray walk confidently up to the dish and prepare their blades. Rayley and Bretz looked at each other and nodded, as they too readied their blades. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" All four blades hit the dish at the exact same time and went for each other, all-moving in perfect sync with each other. Sam watched from her seat, her hands clenched in anxiety. Each time a blade hit she'd cringe, expecting one to fly from the dish.

All of a sudden she felt a hand slip into hers and fingers interweave with hers. Sam glanced down and realized it was Kai who was holding her hand. She looked over at Kai in surprise but he kept his eyes on the battle. Sam did the same, not removing her hand as she watched the battle. Adonia and Bretz seemed to decide it was time to make their move. "Latema!" Rayley yelled, "Shredded Swipe now!"

Asyema!" Bretz yelled, "Swift Saber Strike!" Lights shot from both blades as the bitbeasts appeared with a roar of adrenaline. Instantly they headed for Ray and Max's blade, but they were prepared for this.

They had studied the moves out of Kenny's laptop and knew how to counter it. "Driger! Tiger Claw Attack!" Sam watched Ray's faithful bitbeast appear and charge for the two blades. "Draciel! Back up Driger with Defence Ball!" Draciel obeyed immediately and together he and Driger attacked the other two cats from opposite angles.

The four blades struggle for a few minutes and Sam held her breath, not realising she was crushing Kai's hand in the meantime. Kai smirked at her reaction, not removing his hand but hoping it wouldn't be too injured to stop him blading later. Suddenly a loud crash echoed through the stadium and a gasp went through the crowd as Max's blade was thrown from the dish.

Sam jumped to her feet in disbelief. With Max out there was no way Ray could hold up against both blades. But Ray wasn't giving up as he sped up the side of the dish and knocked Draciel back into the dish, landing beside him and going back into the attack. Sam cheered along with the crowd at the manoeuvre they had spent weeks perfecting. Bretz and Rayley were looking on in disbelief but quickly recovered and sent their blades back into a head on attack. It was now down to a contest of pure strength.

Sam knew Ray and Max were strong bladers but she also knew what power Bretz and Rayley had and as much as she hated to admit it, she was sure Rayley and Bretz had the upper hand. Still, Sam cheered Max and Ray on, praying she was wrong. A few minutes later, however there was a deafening clash and Max and Ray's blades were thrown from the dish, despite the effort they put in.

Rayley and Bretz cheered as they recalled their blades and walked back to their seats. Ray and Max walked back to their seats deflated. "Sorry guys," Max said, "but they were a lot stronger then I realised." Sam forced a smile.

"Don't worry about it Max. You and Ray battled great. Now it's up to me and Kai to show them whose boss!"

Grabbing her blade from her pocket she headed towards the dish with Kai, trying her best to look confident despite how she really felt. "And now from the Bladebreakers we have Sam and Kai!" The crowd cheered. "And from the Carnivora Catz we have Adonia and Garnet!" Sam couldn't keep the shock from her face. Garnet! No! How could she take on her life long friend?! DJ Jazzman seemed to echo her thoughts. "This should be an interesting match folks, with the Carnivora Catz being Sam's old team! How will she handle this pressure?" Sam glared across at Jazon who smiled back menacingly. He knew Sam wouldn't handle battling Garnet and had personally trained her to be ready for the championships. Now he was about to see that work paid off.

Sam readied her blade as DJ Jazzman started the countdown. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" Sam and Kai launched their blades at exact same time and they hit the dish together. Adonia and Garnet hit a split second later and instantly all four blades rammed each other. Sam looked at Kai, waiting for him to give her the signal. They had been working on a special attack and Sam was dieing to use it. Sam saw Kai was going to keep her waiting and so turned her gaze to the girls opposite her, finally resting on Garnet.

The young girl was breathing heavy and perspiring but had a determined look on her face. Garnet looked up suddenly and Sam suddenly felt guilty. How could she do this to her best friend?! Her blade, feeling her doubt wavered slightly and was rammed hard by Adonia's blade, knocking it away. Sam gasped in surprise as Kai glared at her. "Keep your emotions under control!" he snapped, then his face softened, "or you'll be playing right into Jazon's hands. I'm sure your friend will understand." Sam glanced over at Garnet. Would she? Garnet looked up and smiled. A kind, genuine smile.

Sam smiled back. Yes, she would understand. Sam looked at Kai and nodded. "Right, let's get 'em!"

Kai nodded, a smile spreading over his lips. Ready?" Sam nodded. "Dranzer! Fire Spin NOW!"

"Drazema! Black Inferno!" Both bitbeasts erupted from their blades with a cry of anger! The crowed 'ohhhed' and 'ahhhed' at the sight, but they hadn't seen anything yet. As the two fires started to consume the blades, Adonia suddenly came to life.

"Ok Garnet, let's do it!" Garnet nodded tentatively. "Nazema! Corrosive Claw Attack NOW!"

"Rubema! Raging Inferno!" Sam laughed smugly as the two bitbeasts emerged from the blades. It was just as she had predicted. Adonia and Garnet were using their strongest attacks. As the two bitbeasts became surrounded in green and red Sam nodded at Kai, who was looking at her out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her signal.

"Dranzer!"

"Drazema!' Kai and Sam called to his blade as the two attacks began to combine. "NOW!" On cue the two blades joined together and headed straight for the other two blades, sparks flying from their blades and creating lightening to form inside the ever -growing attack. Adonia laughed as the blades neared. "This battle's ours!" She cried, watching as her own bitbeast became surrounded in a tower of acid. Garnet didn't look so confident as flames consumed her lioness bitbeasts in a protective ball.

Sam shook her head. "Don't act so cocky!" She snapped, causing both Adonia and Garnet to look at her in surprise. Sam indicated back down to the dish and their eyes followed her finger, just in time to see Kai and Sam's blades split – millimetres from impact – and ram Adonia and Garnet's blades from the side, causing them to ram each other and hit them with their own attacks. Then Sam and Kai used this to their own advantage and hit them twice as hard with their attacks.

Adonia and Garnet gasped and all four blades hit and all covered their faces from the bright light of the explosion. When it was over, Sam and Kai looked back down to see both their blades still spinning, Garnet's lying still in the dish, whilst Adonia's had been thrown out of the dish to land at her feet. Sam cheered along with the crowd and recalled her blade, holding her blade in the air in victory. Kai shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he too recalled his blade.

As she and Kai returned back to their benches, Sam glanced back at Garnet who was picking up her blade and staring down at it in disbelief. Sam stumbled slightly as she turned around to face Garnet. "Garnet!" she yelled. Garnet glanced up. Sam gave her two thumbs up. "That was wicked! And who knows? Maybe next year you'll beat me!" Garnet shook her head as she smiled. "Maybe? Huh! Next year your blade is mine!" Sam laughed as she headed back to her team. Kai was right Garnet did forgive her. Sam smiled at Kai who looked at her smugly, making her laugh.

Her joy was short lived however, when DJ Jazzman's voice suddenly reached her ears. "With both teams winning one match each, there will be a final round played between the remaining team member from each team." Sam sighed with relief as Tyson jumped from the bench reaching for his blade. "WAIT!" Sam froze. That wasn't DJ Jazzman's voice. It was Jazon's.

Sam spun on her heel and looked up at her old teammate. He was standing beside DJ Jazzman, microphone in hand, staring right at her. "If the Bladebreakers aren't too afraid, I'd like to challenge their newest member, Sam, to this battle."

All eyes turned on her and Sam could feel her palms growing damp. Sam looked around her team, her eyes falling on Tyson. He shrugged. "Show him why we're the best!" He exclaimed. Sam tried to smile, but inside she had been hoping he'd refuse. Sam, unable to think of a reason, finally turned back to Jazon and shrugged. "You're funeral!" She declared, with more confidence then she felt. There was no mistaking the smug smile the spread across his lips as Sam made her way back up to the dish.

"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman yelled, reclaiming the microphone. "Sam has agreed to a one on one match against her old team mate and captain Jazon! This shall be one intense battle, with both going for the championship title!"

"Hope you aren't going to throw _this_ match Sam." Jazon mocked. Sam found herself laughing in response. "You wish!" She loaded her blade and prepared it for launch, exhaling slowly as she tried to relax her tense muscles. She could do this. She could. She would.

"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" Sam launched her blade with all the force she possessed. This was it. "Let's do it Drazema!" She yelled, watching her blade hit the dish and head straight for Jazon's blade. This was going to be one intense battle. She just hoped she was ready for it.


	30. Final Battle

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter30 – The Final Battle!**

Sam watched her blade head for Jazon's golden blade. The two blades collided with a clash, sending sparks everywhere, but neither backing down. Repelling off each other, both went again for the head on attack. This time Sam managed to get the extra hand, and pushed Jazon's blade back slightly, only to have him hit back with equal force. Sam clenched her teeth as her blade was pushed back once more.

Behind her Kenny was working overtime, the rest of the Bladebreakers gathered around him in interest, except for Kai who refused to take his eyes off the battle going on. He was sure that Sam could easily control this battle; it was her emotions that worried him. She would have to control her emotions if she was to win this battle. If she didn't there was no way she could win.

Kenny's voice suddenly reached his ears, but Kai still didn't remove his eyes from the battle. "Both Sam and Jazon's blades appear to be evenly matched." He explained as he typed furiously away at his laptop. "In fact, according to these statistics, their blades are so evenly matched in everyway that it is impossible to who will have the upper hand in this battle. Both blader's energy levels are at their highest level. They are both giving it all they've got. This is really going to be a close battle. If one blader even makes the smallest mistake, that will be it. Otherwise, there is just no way of knowing who will win this match, at this point anyway."

All eyes turned back to the battle. It was obvious that Sam was steadily growing exhausted. She was panting slightly and was perspiring on her forehead, but it was clear she wasn't going to be backing down. Jazon on the other hand, looked completely in control. "This is unbelievable ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman's voice suddenly rang out, "Despite having just competed in battle, Sam of the Bladebreakers is still going on strong. With Jazon not yet having competed in the finals, it would have been thought that Sam would have a lot less endurance then him, yet she is holding fast against him. But just how much longer can she keep this up?"

Sam mentally thanked him for his vote of confidence as the two blades struck each other once again. "I'm sorry to have to end this little rally," Jazon spoke up suddenly, causing Sam to look at him, keeping her mind on the battle. "But this is getting boring. How about we liven things up?" Sam squared her shoulders at his words.

"Bring it on!" She replied. Jazon smiled.

"Alright Crazema!" He yelled, "Lightening Crash NOW!" Bright light, a lot like lightening began to spark around his blade as the blade swept around the dish. The light seemed to radiate from the center of his blade. As the blade swept across the dish, the bright light grew larger and brighter until it covered the whole dish and obscured both blades from view.

But Sam was up to the challenge. From past battles Sam knew exactly how to counter his attack. "Not so fast, Jazon!" She mocked, "Drazema, counter him with Shadow strike!" All watched the dish as from somewhere beneath the blanket of light Sam's blade whipped across the dish, combating the lightness with dark until it cancelled each other out and both blades came into view just as they collided with a deafening crash! Sam covered her eyes as a whizzing sound rang through her ears. Raising her hand she felt a blade fall into her palm.

Sam opened her eyes, her heart sinking, expecting to see her blade in her hand. But it wasn't her blade that was nestled safely in her palm. No, this blade was gold and white. It was Jazon's blade. Sam couldn't believe it. She had won! She looked back to the dish but couldn't see her blade spinning anywhere. "You didn't think you'd won did you?" A voice mocked. Glancing up Sam saw Jazon smiling at her, a black and purple blade in his hand.

Sam scowled at him but before she could say anything smart DJ Jazzman's voice filled the stadium. "I don't believe it! It's a tie! What do the judges have to say to that? There was a moment's silence as the judges conferred, and then Mr. Dickenson came to the microphone. "Never have I seen two bladers so evenly matched, but as it was a tie, we will have to have a rematch, but with a slight change." He nodded his head and the dish lowered and was quickly replaced by another one.

This one was a LOT different! It was completely covered with ice! There was a large iceberg in the center of the dish and Sam could see the roughness of the ice. A cheer went through the crowd as Sam dug into her pocket and made the quick replacement to the base of her blade. Taking a deep breath she tried to push aside her exhaustion as she loaded her blade.

"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!" Sam launched her blade as hard as she could. It hit the ice the same time as Jazon's, but while hers was able to stay in place, Jazon's skidded slightly. Sam saw him grit his teeth as he tried to steady his blade. "Get him now Drazema!" Her blade obeyed and rammed into Jazon's, ramming it into the iceberg. But Jazon wasn't so easily fazed. "Crazema! Fight back!" Crazema obediently went for Sam's blade. Its balance wasn't as good as Sam's, so it skidded a little, but the force of the attack was still strong and Sam saw her blade repel off his, before attacking again.

Kenny was at his laptop again, working out the stats of this battle. "Although Sam has a steadier hold of her blade on the ice, she is growing increasingly tired. Jazon on the other hand, has less balance, but a lot stronger attack. This battle is once again evenly matched. Unless Sam can find a way to get Jazon out of the match, I don't see her holding out much longer."

Sam, unaware of what Kenny had just said, was having similar thoughts herself. She could feel herself weakening, and knew she had to find a way to defeat Jazon and quick. Knowing her blade had a better hold on the ice, she decided she needed a chance to conserve her energy and ordered Drazema to go on the defence.

Drazema instantly obeyed, dodging Jazon's next attack, causing his blade to skid across the ice, before taking off in the other direction. Jazon immediately gave chase, hitting her blade now and then, but Sam dodged most of his attacks. Then Sam had an idea. It was risky, but it would get her out of harms way for now. "Drazema!" She yelled, "Time to show 'em what you can do." Drazema understood her master's intentions and headed straight for the edge of the dish. Tilting back at a sharp angle, she flew over the dish, and headed backwards towards the center, flipping over just in time to land smoothly on the iceberg, the new base preventing it from skidding off the edge.

Sam mentally thanked Kenny as she heard the crowd cheer and saw Jazon clench his fists in agitation. She had been right in guessing that he wouldn't have the guts to try such an attack. Breathing heavy, Sam tried to think of her next move. She knew she couldn't stay in hiding forever. Jazon, however, seemed to decide to end this battle. "You can run but you can't hide!" He gloated, "Crazema! Mystical Strike!" Sam gasped. This was Crazema's all out strongest attack. It would tear her blade to shreds.

As Sam watched, a gold and white lynx exploded form her blade in a brilliant light and let out a threatening growl that made Sam's stomach churn. Placing a comforting hand on her stomach Sam watched the small star in the center of Crazema's head start to glow as light began to be drawn to it, forming a ball around her. Lightening began to flash in the ball as it spun at great momentum around the iceberg where Sam's blade sat. Then Sam saw it.

"Drazema!" She cried, her voice straining as she summoned what was left of her energy. "Let's end this! Supa Nova!" Sam closed her eyes as her bitbeast shot out of her blade. She could feel everyone's eyes widened at the sound of this attack. Neither the Bladebreakers nor the Carnivora Catz had seen her use this attack before, and that was Sam's advantage.

The great panther looked at Sam, her bright sapphire eyes staring into her master's unsurely, but seeing the determination on Sam's face, she bowed her head in obedience before letting out a roar so frightening the audience shrank back a little in fear. Still, no one could take his or her eyes from the battle as Drazema started the attack.

Spreading her wings to their full beauty, Drazema gave another roar as she started to spin faster and faster. Ice began to chip away from the base of the iceberg as the blade built up speed. Soon it was no more then a blur. A black light spread up the blade like a tornado before encircling around Drazema like a ball. Drazema lowered her wings and head, as the ball grew tighter around her. Silver lights began to spark throughout the ball as it grew in power. Suddenly black streaks were being swept towards the blade. All eyes followed the streaks and came to rest upon the source…Sam!

"That's it!" Kenny yelled, causing eyes to fall on him, "Drazema is drawing Sam's energy to increase the power of the attack! But Sam has very little energy left! I wonder if she'll be able to withstand this attack." All eyes turned back to Sam awaiting the answer. As they watched, Sam began to shake, before falling to one knee as she lost the energy to stand. Still she kept her head up in defiance, her eyes never leaving her bitbeast.

Jazon suddenly snapped out of his daze and back to reality. "Nice try Sam! But this battle is mine! Crazema! Get her now! Jazon's blade obeyed and charged towards the iceberg, but Sam laughed harshly, all confidence now restored. "Wrong move Jazon!" She cried, her voice wavering as more energy was drawn from her. Jazon looked at her in surprise then back at the battle and then he too realised his mistake. "Crazema!" he cried suddenly, "Abort!" But it was too late. Although Crazema tried to stop, it had already gained too much momentum and skidded into the iceberg.

A second before it hit, Sam smiled and closed her eyes. Feeling a tear roll down her cheek as she felt the affects of the energy being drained from her body she silently commanded her blade to unleash its attack, praying in her heart that she would survive it. Drazema, knowing what this meant, cast one last look at her master as Crazema crashed into the iceberg, sending her blade into the air by the explosion. But Drazema was ready. Suddenly opening her wings, she unleashed her attack in mid air, smashing into Crazema with the full force of the attack.

The last thing Sam saw was her blade fall from the sky and towards the dish as Sam fell to the ground. She swore she heard someone calling her name. Then there was a loud explosion, a brilliant flash of light and then nothing…


	31. A Surprising Secret

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter 31 – A Surprising Secret!**

Kai lent against the cold concrete wall and looked about him. The hallway in which he now stood was completely deserted, except for the rest of his team and Mr. Dickenson who were all sitting in the bench or on the floor beside him. According to the clock on the wall opposite him it was eight thirty-three. They had come to the hospital straight after Sam had collapsed. Which meant they had been here for nearly three hours. Max was pacing the floor impatiently and Tyson was complaining about how hungry he was.

Ray and Kenny were sitting beside Mr. Dickenson studying the image of the battle on Kenny's laptop, trying to keep their minds busy so they wouldn't think about what was happening. Kai on the other hand, couldn't stop replaying the image of the battle in his mind. Sam had collapsed just as Sam had begun her final attack. Kai wanted to run to her side, but knew this would mean they would be disqualified. So he was forced to wait until after the battle was over.

There had been a large explosion when the two blades collided and by the time the dust had cleared, Kai and his team were already half way over to the dish. From there they could clearly see the half demolished dish and the blade spinning in it. A black and silver blade. Jazon's blade was lying in the grass beside him, battered but not completely destroyed. Sam had won the battle.

A cheer went through the crowd as Kai knelt by Sam's side. She was out cold, he breathing laboured and her pulse weak. Mr. Dickenson had immediately called for an ambulance and taken the boys with him to the hospital. By the time they had arrived, Sam had already been taken into the emergency ward and they hadn't heard anything since.

Kai looked up at the clock above him and was about to go and get himself his third cup of tea when the door to the emergency opened and a doctor in a white coat stepped out. He walked over to where they all were waiting. Max and Tyson came over as the doctor spoke. "Is any of Sam's family here?" he asked. The boys shook their heads as Mr. Dickenson explained why they were the only one's here. The doctor nodded. "Then is there a…" he paused and looked at the clipboard in his hands, "a…Kai? Here?" All eyes turned to Kai and he looked at the doctor expectantly. He indicated for Kai to come with him.

Kai pushed himself off the wall and followed the doctor over a little, out of earshot of the others. "Sam was murmuring your name," the doctor explained in a think German accent. "So I take it you and her are…close?" Kai shrugged. The doctor coughed. "Am I correct in assuming you and her had a… personal… relationship?" Kai shrugged again nodding slightly. The doctor took this as a yes and looked back at the clipboard. "Well since non of her family is present I shall refer to you. I am going to be blunt. Sam has lost a lot of energy and her body is very weak. With a bit of rest however, she should pull through. The baby on the other hand may not…"

He paused mid sentence seeing the shock on Kai's face. The doctor looked at him in equal surprise, then his cheeks reddened. "Um…I…You did know Sam was pregnant right?" Kai shook his head, quickly regaining his composure. The doctor's cheeks reddened even more. "Um…well…um…"

"Can I see her?" Kai asked, quickly wanting to change the subject. The doctor shook his head.

"I'm afraid Sam will be allowed no visitors except immediate family for at least two days while she is kept under observation." Kai nodded and went back to his team, who were eagerly waiting to hear the news.

Kai didn't look at any of them as he walked past. "No visitors for two days." He said as he headed down the hall. His team looked at each other before following, Mr. Dickenson staying to talk to the doctor. As they followed Kai out of the hospital, Max was the first to speak. "But is she alright?" he asked, wringing his hands together in anxiety. Kai shrugged. "She will be kept under observation but with rest she should be fine." Max looked visibly relieved as he followed the rest of the team back to the hotel.

Kai didn't say another word to them, but just went to his room and lay on his bed trying to take in what the doctor had said. "Pregnant?" Kai murmured, still unable to believe it. "Of course the morning sickness, the increase in appetite, the exhaustion, I should have known." He wondered how long Sam had known for and why hadn't she told him? With these thoughts running through his head, he fell into a fistful sleep, praying that the two days would pass swiftly.

As a matter of fact the two days passed very slowly. But not just for Kai. Sam had awoke out of her coma-like-state yesterday and other then slight waves of nausea every now and then she was completely fine. Not that the doctor would believe her. Sam sighed as she flicked through the channels on the small T.V above her head and sipped a diet coke. As she had predicted there was nothing good on. "Curse you Scott," she hissed placing the remote on the bed.

"I believe your meant to call me Doctor Nickerson," came a voice from the door way. Sam looked up to see her doctor walk into the room.

He smiled at her as she pulled a face. "Have you come to tell me I can go home?" Sam asked hopefully. But Scott shook his head. "Nope, I'm afraid you still have another day in hospital yet, just to be sure everything's ok."

"But Scott," Sam whined, "I'm fine." Scott laughed.

"I'm sure you are." He said calmly, before growing serious. "But this isn't just about you." Sam sobered up immediately as she placed a hand on her stomach. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked the doctor. Scott raised an eyebrow. "So it's a she today?" he asked. Sam nodded, smiling slightly. Yesterday she had protested that it was definitely going to be a boy, now she had changed her mind, deciding a girl would be much better.

The doctor smiled warmly at her. "I am sure your baby will be just fine…if you rest!" he added firmly. Sam growled at him as she sunk lower into the pillows and handed him her empty can of coke. Scott took it from her and placed it in the bin. "How am I meant to rest?" Sam demanded, "It's seven o'clock in the morning, there is nothing good on T.V and I am sooooo bored!" The doctor smiled. "If you like, I can give you something that will help you fall asleep for at least a few hours." Sam thought about this for a minute. There was no way she'd have the will power to stay in bed.

Reluctantly she held out her arm and Scott gave her a quick shot of anastatic. Sam thanked him and turned her attention to the roof. She heard the doctor leave the room quietly, the door closing behind him. Staring at the ceiling, Sam felt her body relax and watched the world go hazy as her eyelids dropped and she fell into a peaceful sleep, her hand resting protectively on her stomach.

Kai awoke at six o'clock that morning and quickly got dressed. He wanted to be at the hospital at eight as visiting hours started at nine and he wanted a chance to talk to Sam alone. Having a quick shower, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a black short-sleeve shirt then headed back to his room. Going to his drawers, he grabbed a pair of socks and sat down on his bed to put his joggers on. Once he was fully dressed he headed for the kitchen. Having a light breakfast of toast, he skulled a cup of tea, before swiftly brushing his teeth and hair.

Fully ready, he left the room, grabbing his wallet and his jacket on his way out. Creeping past the next two rooms, he made it to the elevator without being seen and as he made his way to the lobby, he pulled on his jacket. Reaching the lobby, he half-ran outside and quickly hailed a taxi. Directing him to take him to the hospital, Kai sat back and closed his eyes. Ten minutes later at ten to eight, Kai reached the hospital. Hastily paying the fare, Kai ran into the hospital and up to the reception desk.

The place was practically empty, as visiting hours wouldn't be starting for over an hour. The lady at the desk looked up at him in surprise. "Can you tell me which room Samantha Coredori is in please?" The lady looked at him for a moment with untrusting eyes. Kai sighed, trying to keep his composure. "She's a…friend of mine and I just wanted to know if she had been taken out of the emergency ward yet." The lady gave him another unsure glance before turning to her computer. Typing away for a moment, Kai leant over the counter and glanced at the computer. The lady suddenly looked up at him and glared. "Yes she has," she said curtly, turning the screen away from him, "but you will have to come back when visiting hours are on to find out what room she's in."

Kai glared at her. He would do no such thing. Without saying a word he turned away from the reception desk and went back outside. Turning left, he headed around to the back of the building. As he had suspected there was an emergency exit door, which had to be kept unlock if the hospital was open. Quickly opening it, he stepped inside and ran over to the elevator. Pressing the button for the third floor, he tried to remember the room number he had seen on the computer screen, before the lady had turned it away. "204" he murmured to himself, "204." There was a 'ding' as the elevator reached the third floor.

Kai stepped out and looked to his left. The numbers started at 200 and went down, meaning Sam's room was the fourth door to his right. Kai strode over to it, checking the number above the door to be sure it was the right one. Knocking on the closed door, he waited but there was no reply. Turning the handle, he pushed open the door a crack and peered inside. Sam was the only one in the room, her bed sitting beside the window, casting a beam of light across the white sheets, which covered her sleeping form.

Kai entered the room, remembering to close the door behind him, and walked quietly over to her bed. There were two chairs against the wall beside her bed. Grabbing one, Kai dragged it closer to her side and sat down. Sam didn't stir. Kai studied her as she slept. She was slightly pale, but other then that, she looked no different. He noticed her hand resting on her stomach and, reaching up, he placed his hand gently over hers. Sam still did not stir and Kai realised she was probably on some drug to help her sleep. Kai wondered how much longer she'd be out for as he gently stroked her hand with his thumb.

"She won't be awake for another hour at least," a voice from the door suddenly spoke up, making Kai jump to his feet and he quickly removed his hand. Looking up, he saw the doctor that had spoken to him when they had first brought Sam in. "Hello again Kai," he said casually, "I'm Doctor Scott Nickerson, Sam's doctor." He took a few steps into the room, stopping at Sam's bed.

Scott glanced at his clipboard. "You do know visiting hours aren't until nine right?" Kai nodded, looking away as he blushed slightly at having been caught. "Sam will be awake by then," the doctor continued, than stopped. Kai waited for Dr. Scott to tell him to leave, but the doctor only smiled. "You might as well get comfortable. So long as you're quiet, I doubt anyone will know you're here." Kai looked up at the doctor in surprise. Scott winked at him. "Of course if anyone asks, I never saw you in here." Kai smirked in understanding. Dr. Nickerson glanced once more down at Sam, before sending Kai a wink of understanding and leaving the room. Kai breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

Resting his hand once more in Sam's, he leant back against the chair and closed his eyes. The doctor had implied Sam wouldn't be awake for a while and Kai could feel the fatigue that had gathered over the last few days catching up on him. Resting his head in the palm of his free hand, his elbow resting on the armrest, he felt the world slipping away as he slowly fell asleep, Sam the last thing to pass through his over exhausted mind.


	32. Is This The End?

**Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564**

**Chapter32 – Is this the end?**

Sam opened her eyes and quickly shut them at the sudden bright haze that greeted her. She waited a few moments before slowly opening one eye then the other. The world seemed blurry and for a moment Sam was unsure of her surroundings. After a minute or so, the gloom dispersed and Sam's vision cleared. Her world appeared to be completely white. "Like heaven," Sam murmured. She looked above her and frowned. "Heaven…with fluorescent lights…" she took a deep breath, "…and smelling strongly of bleach!" Sam smiled at her own wit as she recalled that she was in the Hospital.

Glancing about her once more, Sam's eyes fell upon the armchair beside her bed and, more importantly, on the young man who was fast asleep there. His dark blue bangs covering his face, rustling each time he exhaled. Sam giggled quietly and threw back the sheet which covered her. Getting to her feet, Sam swayed slightly and clutched the railing of her bed for support as she waited for the world to stop spinning. When everything was once again still, Sam walked quietly over to Kai's sleeping form and placed a hand on his shoulder.

When he didn't stir, Sam reached up to brush the hair away from his face when Kai's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her wrist. "You," he said, raising his head and looking her in the eyes, "shouldn't be out of bed." Sam glared at him, a smiling tugging at her lips. "And you," she replied, "shouldn't be in here!" Kai released her wrist as his face grew serious. "Why didn't you tell me Sam?" He asked quietly. Sam sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. "And what? Let you stop me blading?" Sam placed a hand on her stomach, which Kai noticed was slightly swollen beneath her white hospital robe. "I'm sorry Kai," Sam sighed, glancing back up at him, "but I just couldn't!"

Kai could see the anguish in her eyes as she spoke. Pulling himself out of his chair, he went and sat beside her. Tentatively, he reached out and took Sam's hand, weaving his fingers in with hers. Sam smiled at him and squeezed his hand affectionately, her eyes holding his. Slowly Kai lent his head forward and brushed his lips against hers. Sam kissed him back before pulling back. "Did we win?" She demanded. Kai blinked. Sam repeated the question. "Win what?" he asked. Sam rolled her eyes. "Win the tournament you dolt!" Kai smiled mischievously at her, remaining silent. Sam narrowed her eyes. "Well?" Kai shrugged, I don't know if this _dolt _can remember!"

Sam growled at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "Very funny Blue Boy," she hissed, "but I'm not laughing." Kai's smile broadened as he watched Sam glare at him, but still he did not reply. Before she could do anything more the ward door swung open causing her and Kai to jump apart. Glancing up she saw the rest of the Bladebreakers burst into the room. "SAM!" Upon catching sight of Sam, Tyson raced across the room, arms open. Sam shut her eyes and steeled herself for the hug; one arm going around her stomach and prayed Tyson wouldn't crush her.

The next thing Sam heard a thud and Tyson groaning. Opening her eyes she saw Tyson sitting on the floor and a very irritated Kai standing above him. She looked at Kai and smiled gratefully. Kai winked at her before glaring at Tyson. "You idiot!" he hissed, "Sam's sick. You don't squeeze the life out of her!" Tyson blushed as he pulled himself to his feet. Walking calmly over to Sam, Tyson gave her a brief hug before stepping aside and allowing the others to greet Sam. Max was the last to get to Sam and when he did he had tears in his eyes. "Hello Sam," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Sam smiled warmly at her friend. Spreading her arms she gave Max a large hug. She had missed his company dearly. As Max stepped back, he wiped the tears from his cheeks. "For a while we weren't sure if you would…" he didn't finish the sentence but Sam knew what he meant. "Well I did," Sam replied, before resting a hand on her stomach. "We did." She added in a whisper. She then quickly looked at her team. "So did we win?" Kai smiled as the rest of the team blinked. "Kai didn't tell you?" Ray asked. Sam shook her head, glaring at Kai.

Before Ray could answer, Tyson suddenly spoke up. "Hey. How come you were here so early, Kai? We were looking for you everywhere." Kai shrugged.

"I had a few things to clear up with Sam…in private!" The boys blinked, not understanding but Sam cut off any further questions. "Hey! Back to me! Did we win?" Max smiled.

"Yeah, we won. That move you made completely destroyed the dish too." Sam couldn't contain the shout of victory that erupted at the announcement. "ALRIGHT!!!!" She cried, pumping her fist in the air. This was obviously too much for her as the world suddenly swayed and she hung onto the rail of her bed.

Kai took a step forward to help her but stopped himself. He didn't want his team thinking he was weak. Sam looked at him, but said nothing. Just then the door opened and Doctor Nickerson walked in. "Well, I see you have a few admirers, Sam." Sam glared at her doctor. "Please tell me you've come to inform me I can go home." She stood up and faced her doctor, grasping her hands in front of her. "Please Scott?" Doctor Nickerson studied her for a minute. "That depends." He said, walking up to her. "How are you feeling?" Sam placed both hands on her hips. "I'm fine, Scott! I've been fine for ages!" Doctor Nickerson gave her a look. "But it's not just about you, is it Sam?" Sam bit her lip, her hand falling to her side, as she quickly looked around at her team mates.

Doctor Nickerson noticed her anxious expression. "I take it you haven't told them yet." Sam shook her head, unable to meet his eyes. "Told us what?" Tyson demanded. "What's wrong with Sam?" Doctor Nickerson looked at Sam. Sam took a deep breath. "I probably should have told you guys earlier…" she paused, then suddenly it all came out. "Guys I'm pregnant. I have been for the past two months. That's why I collapsed at the championships. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I know I should have…but…"she couldn't go on. A tear trickled down her cheek as she raised her head and looked at each member of her team. They were all staring at her in shock.

Sam finally met Kai's eyes and he smiled slightly at her. Sam felt a smile of her own tug at her lip. There was silence in the room until Tyson suddenly spoke. "So you're…you're going to be a mum?" Sam nodded. Tyson suddenly grinned. "WOW!" Sam laughed in surprise. "Wow?" the rest of the team echoed. Tyson shrugged. "Well come on! It's kinda cool." Sam shook her head, a smile spreading across her mouth. Trust Tyson!!

"Who's the father?" Ray suddenly asked. Everyone fell silent before looking at Sam.

Sam glanced at Kai, wondering if she should tell them. This must have given them the wrong idea as all eyes suddenly turned to Kai. Tyson stared in disbelief. "Is…K…Kai…?" Kai jumped off the wall in shock. "Hell no!" He cried. "So if it's not Kai," Ray said, "then who?" All eyes turned back to Sam. Sam wriggled uncomfortably. "I don't actually know." She said at last. "You see I was…" she glanced at Scott. Doctor Nickerson looked back at the boys. "I think Sam needs a little rest. You can come back and see her this afternoon."

Before the boys could protest, Scott ushered them out of the room. Sam sighed in the empty room before climbing back into bed. From there she stared out the window for a very long time…

Once outside the room, Doctor Nickerson took the boys down the corridor before explaining to them what had happened to Sam. All except Kai stared in shock at the doctor as they let this sink in. "When can she be released?" Kai asked, breaking the silence. Scott thought for a moment. "If all appears well…this afternoon." Kai nodded and headed for the elevator the rest of his team following behind him.

At one o'clock, Sam couldn't wait to be out of the hospital. She had a snooze, woken up, had some tests and finally had been given the all clear to leave the hospital. She had quickly got changed into her own clothes and now all she had to do was wait for Mr. Dickenson to show up. Scott had told her Mr. Dickenson would be picking her up at one and taking her to the airport where she would return to Hong Kong.

Sam was now dieing of anxiety at the thought of seeing her grandfather again. Sam looked at the clock again. One-oh-one. He was late. Just as Sam was about to sigh, the door swung open and Scott entered the room. "Mr. Dickenson is in the hall with the rest of your friends. So if you are ready…" Sam almost knocked him over in her rush to get out of the room.

Upon catching sight of Mr. Dickenson she rushed over to him and gave him a hug. Mr. Dickenson smiled before offering Sam his arm and leading her out to the awaiting taxi-van. Inside she could see the rest of her team smiling warmly at her. Climbing in and taking a seat between Max and Ray, Sam spent most of the drive talking or drinking her first diet coke in three days.

They reached the airport in only a couple of minutes and ten minutes later the Bladebreakers sat together in the terminal waiting for Sam's flight to be called for boarding. They didn't need to wait long. Fifteen minutes later the announcement crackled over the speakers and Sam stood up. "That's me," she said cheerfully. It was then that she noticed her team mate's faces and realised what this all meant. She was returning to Hong Kong and leaving her team behind.

One by one they all came up to her and said their goodbyes. Sam hugged each one warmly. Except Kai who stayed where he was on the wall, head down so his face was concealed by his hair. Sam held back her disappointment. "I'll see you all next championships!" she said as happily as she could. Still she could not hold back the tears that came to her eyes at leaving her dear friends. She noticed Max was already crying and gave him another hug. After which Tyson insisted on another hug too. So she hugged each one, one last time.

Still Kai did not move. "Final call for any passengers flying on flight HKG560 to Hong Kong." Sam sighed and walked over to Kai. "So are you going to say goodbye?" she demanded. Kai glanced up at her. "Why?" he asked casually, "you said it yourself you'll see us at the next championships." Sam shrugged before smiling sadly as she turned and walked away. Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Spinning around, Sam found herself staring at Kai. "I said I wouldn't say goodbye," he said, taking her hand in his, "for we are sure to meet again. That does not mean I am not going to miss you, cause I will…after all a year is a long time to wait." Sam smiled, quickly hugging him, much to his annoyance.

Sam had to force herself to pull away as she smiled up at him and walked away. Kai let her hand slip from his as he watched her go. She didn't look back until she reached the gate, where she waved one final time before disappearing from sight. Kai walked away, the rest of his team following behind him.

It wasn't until Sam was sitting down in her seat that she felt the tears well up in her eyes and fall onto her cheeks. Quickly turning her face to the window so no one else would see, she wiped the tears away with the palm of her hand. She knew in her heart she would see her team again, but it didn't make it any less difficult to leave them behind.

Sam felt a small movement in her stomach and placed her hand over it, a smile spreading over her lips. She allowed her mind to turn to happier thoughts as the plane started it's take off. She watched the land slip away below her and sighed. "It isn't the end," she whispered, "Is it?"

"I'm sorry miss," a warm voice beside her said suddenly, causing Sam to jump. Looking up she saw the stewardess standing beside her. She smiled warmly. "I'm sorry to disturb you miss, but can I get you anything?" Sam smiled happily.

"A diet coke thanks," she said smoothly and giggled happily at the warm memories that filled her mind. "No, it's not the end." She said again, her hand patting the small mound in her stomach, "it's only the beginning!"


End file.
